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The NBA Time Machine: 1983

Posted on by in Sports, The NBA Time Machine

Published July 27, 2023

The NBA Time Machine:
1983

Trade Me Once, Shame On You

Good Days Are Mo-ver

Hardly acknowledged was the increasingly unstable nature of the Houston Rockets. The 1981 finalists didn’t quite achieve over the previous season, failing to improve their roster and only seeing forty-six wins. Superstar Moses Malone was so dominant that he could lug an underwhelming cast to a positive record, but the Texas magic faded by the playoffs as they bowed out in the first round.

With Malone now in free agency, the Houston’s hand was forced. They struggled to gauge the value of their franchise great, eventually settling for a yearly offer of 1.5 to 2 million. The Philadelphia 76ers subsequently joined the sweepstakes in shocking fashion, presenting a six-year contract that fell between eleven and fifteen million total. The Rockets opted to match the offer, but their two-time M.V.P. had already felt a warm appreciation from Philadelphia. With his sights now on Julius Erving-led club, Houston was forced to settle for a sign-and-trade to at least reap some benefits from their loss.

The return wasn’t exactly inspiring – all they could muster was a thirty-two-year-old Caldwell Jones and one first-round draft pick. They grabbed a franchise-worst fourteen matches and had no players reach the fifteen-point mark in scoring average.

On the flipside, Philadelphia surged with their new acquisition – their sixty-five wins was the second greatest in 76ers history, and Malone was awarded yet another M.V.P. This made him the first player to win in back-to-back seasons…on different teams.

Worthy of Success?

The Cleveland Cavaliers had asserted themselves as a directionless franchise by the early-80’s, with only three playoff appearances to their name. By mid-February of the 1979-80 season, owner Ted Stepien had playoff hopes – his club may have been 24-37, but optimism guided his decisions. There was a belief in the front office that the Cavaliers could surge in the latter half of the year and secure a playoff berth.

Stepien contacted the Los Angeles Lakers – who were a notably deep team with many unused rotational pieces – for potential trade talks. The seldom-utilized defensive specialist Don Ford was being eyed by Cleveland, and was ultimately traded for sophomore guard Butch Lee and a first-round pick. Lee was a top prospect in the 1978 draft, but injuries soured his value – the Cavaliers wanted somebody proven.

Considering the franchise was expected to be below-average at worst, the pick was not expected to be of significant value. This changed after Cleveland compiled a league-worst record, inflating its worth. Their former trade asset was now valued as the number-one pick, and they had lost it to Los Angeles. This cast a grim cloud on their future, as they could have obtained North Carolina college sensation James Worthy.

A coin flip between the Lakers and San Diego Clippers favored the bigger brother, adding a high-upside rookie to a defending championship team. This was a league-breaking move that helped further deepen their roster, and the Cavaliers were met with side eyes. An already budding dynasty was now boosted by an eventual All-Rookie talent, entirely thanks to Stepien’s hastiness.

We See You!

In accordance with the recent Comeback Player of the Year award, the NBA continued to diversify its regular season honors with two new trophies – the Defensive Player of the Year and Sixth Man of the Year.

The former was intended for the best defender of the season, initially awarded to Sidney Moncrief of the Milwaukee Bucks. The latter was designated for the best “sixth man” – a term synonymous with a bench player – eventually falling into the hands of Philadelphia’s Bobby Jones.

Standout Players

Moses Malone

Due to playing alongside better teammates, Malone’s statistics naturally regressed – however, his impact was greater than ever. He led the league in rebounding for the third consecutive season and helped Philadelphia win sixty-five games, resulting in his third M.V.P. award.

Larry Bird

Bird’s growth continued as he achieved career highs in points, rebounds, assists, and efficiency. The Celtics may not have clinched sixty games this time around, but it did not change Bird’s status as an M.V.P. runner-up for the third consecutive year.

Magic Johnson

Now a definitive superstar, the reigning Finals M.V.P. led the NBA in assists as Los Angeles saw fifty-eight victories. He became the seventh player to average ten assists in a season, and the second of the decade after Micheal Ray Richardson.

Buck Williams

The third overall pick showed out for his New Jersey club, anchoring a top-ranked defense and and the franchise’s best record since joining the NBA. Williams was also a part of the top rebounding and efficiency leaders.

Artis Gilmore

Gilmore fit perfectly with his new team, continuing his stretch of quality play and vaulting the Spurs to a fifty-win campaign again. He was one of two players to shoot over sixty-percent from the field and maintained his defensive dominance.

Sidney Moncrief

The young guard managed to develop further as a hyper-efficient two-way player. He averaged over twenty points per game for the first time and sustained his gritty persona, being awarded the inaugural Defensive Player of the Year award.

Around the League

Team Standings

Notes
An asterisk (*) indicates that the team qualified for the playoffs.

Eastern Conference
Atlantic DivisionWLCentral DivisionWL
Philadelphia 76ers*6517Milwaukee Bucks*5131
Boston Celtics*5626Atlanta Hawks*4339
New Jersey Nets*4933Detroit Pistons3745
New York Knicks*4438Chicago Bulls2854
Washington Bullets4240Cleveland Cavaliers2359
Indiana Pacers2062
Western Conference
Midwest DivisionWLPacific DivisionWL
San Antonio Spurs*5329Los Angeles Lakers*5824
Denver Nuggets*4537Phoenix Suns*5329
Kansas City Kings4537Seattle SuperSonics*4834
Dallas Mavericks3844Portland Trail Blazers*4636
Utah Jazz3052Golden State Warriors3052
Houston Rockets1468San Diego Clippers2557

Fun Facts

  • The Houston Rockets’ record of 14-68 became the second worst in NBA history.
  • This was the Boston Celtics’ first season below sixty wins since the debut of Larry Bird.
  • The San Antonio Spurs continued their hot streak of divisional titles, winning their third in a row.
  • For the first time since 1978, all members of a division finished with a winning record.
    • This was accomplished by the Atlantic Division, whose worst team was the forty-two-win Washington Bullets.
  • Although they did not clinch a playoff berth, the Dallas Mavericks improved in swift fashion for an expansion team – they were only three games under .500, and developed a distinct offense-oriented mentality.
  • The Denver Nuggets led the NBA in pace for the third straight season.
  • Under the watch of Moses Malone, the Philadelphia 76ers obtained their first divisional title since 1978.

Notable Movement

Key

The player stats listed are based on their last tenure, whether it be with their former team or the previous season.
Name(s) under the “Top Draft Picks” section with a plus (+) opted to play in another league instead of the NBA this season.
p – points
r – rebounds
a – assists
s – steals
b – blocks

Top Draft Picks

#TeamPlayer
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10		Los Angeles Lakers
San Diego Clippers
Utah Jazz
Dallas Mavericks
Kansas City Kings
New York Knicks
Chicago Bulls
Indiana Pacers
Detroit Pistons
Atlanta Hawks		James Worthy
Terry Cummings
Dominique Wilkins
Bill Garnett
LaSalle Thompson
Trent Tucker
Quintin Dailey
Clark Kellogg
Cliff Levingston
Keith Edmonson

Players

DatePlayerTeamActionDestinationStats
July 7, 1982Truck RobinsonPhoenix SunsTradedNew York Knicks(19.1p/9.7r/2.4a)
July 22, 1982Artis GilmoreChicago BullsTradedSan Antonio Spurs(18.5p/10.2r/2.7b)
September 15, 1982Moses MaloneHouston RocketsTradedPhiladelphia 76ers(31.1p/14.7r/1.5b)
October 22, 1982Bernard KingGolden State WarriorsTradedNew York Knicks(23.2p/5.9r/3.6a)
February 6, 1983Micheal Ray RichardsonGolden State WarriorsTradedNew Jersey Nets(12.5p/7.4a/3.1s)

Other Personnel

DatePersonTeamAction
June 23, 1982Coach Paul WestheadChicago BullsHired
October 21, 1982Coach Bill MusselmanCleveland CavaliersResigned
October 21, 1982Coach Tom NissalkeCleveland CavaliersHired
March 13, 1983Coach Al AttlesGolden State WarriorsReassigned
April 6, 1983Coach Larry BrownNew Jersey NetsResigned
April 8, 1983Coach Stan AlbeckNew Jersey NetsHired
April 18, 1983Coach Scotty RobertsonDetroit PistonsFired
April 20, 1983Coach Paul SilasSan Diego ClippersFired
April 22, 1983Coach Del HarrisHouston RocketsResigned
May 10, 1983Coach Paul WestheadChicago BullsFired
May 12, 1983Coach Johnny BachGolden State WarriorsHired
May 17, 1983Coach Chuck DalyDetroit PistonsHired
May 27, 1983Coach Bill FitchBoston CelticsFired

Retirements

PlayerTeam(s)Notable Accomplishments
Bob DandridgeMilwaukee Bucks
Washington Bullets		2x Champion
1x All-NBA
4x All-Star
1x All-Defensive
1970 All-Rookie Team
John JohnsonCleveland Cavaliers
Portland Trail Blazers
Houston Rockets
Seattle SuperSonics		1x Champion
2x All-Star
George McGinnisPhiladelphia 76ers
Denver Nuggets
Indiana Pacers		2x All-NBA
3x All-Star

League Leaders

Key

PPG – points per game
RPG – rebounds per game
APG – assists per game
SPG – steals per game
BPG – blocks per game
FG% – field goal percentage (percentage of shots that hit)
FT% – free throw percentage (percentage of foul shots that hit)
3P% – three-point field goal percentage (percentage of three-point shots that hit)

StatLeaders
PPGAlex English (28.4)
Kiki Vandeweghe (26.7)
Kelly Tripucka (26.5)
George Gervin (26.2)
Moses Malone (24.5)
RPGMoses Malone (15.3)
Buck Williams (12.5)
Bill Laimbeer (12.1)
Artis Gilmore (12)
Jack Sikma (11.4)
APGMagic Johnson (10.5)
Johnny Moore (9.8)
Rickey Green (8.9)
Larry Drew (8.1)
Frank Johnson (8.1)
SPGMicheal Ray Richardson (2.8)
Rickey Green (2.8)
Johnny Moore (2.5)
Isiah Thomas (2.5)
Darwin Cook (2.4)
BPGTree Rollins (4.3)
Bill Walton (3.6)
Mark Eaton (3.4)
Larry Nance (2.6)
Artis Gilmore (2.3)
FG%Artis Gilmore (62%)
Steve Johnson (62%)
Darryl Dawkins (59%)
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (58%)
Buck Williams (58%)
FT%Calvin Murphy (92%)
Kiki Vandeweghe (87%)
Kyle Macy (87%)
George Gervin (85%)
Adrian Dantley (84%)
3P%Mike Dunleavy (34%)
Isiah Thomas (28%)
Darrell Griffith (28%)
Allen Leavell (24%)

Playoffs

First Round

East / Boston Celtics beat Atlanta Hawks, 2-1
These franchises had history, but their relations had been few and between for a decade now. 1973 was their last playoff matchup, and they were wildly different rosters at this point in time.

Boston warded off Dan Roundfield and Dominique Wilkins in Game 1, but fell short in the second outing due to a Larry Bird shooting slump. Game 3 was a physical and tense match, including a fight between Atlanta’s Tree Rollins and Boston’s Danny Ainge – the latter’s club emerged victorious, however, thanks to Bird’s thorough dominance.
East / New York Knicks beat New Jersey Nets, 2-0
For the first time in league history, the bordering rivals had been good enough to host a post-season round. Also an intriguing narrative was the battle of siblings Bernard and Albert King, who represented the Knicks and Nets respectively.

Bernard’s experience showed from the jump, scoring forty points to lift New York to their first playoff win in five years. Despite being outplayed by his brother in the subsequent Game 2, the Knicks’ offensive depth prompted a sweep – their bench outscored New Jersey’s 33-12.
West / Denver Nuggets beat Phoenix Suns, 2-1
Consecutive first round battles were on the plate for these western small markets, with Denver eager to avenge their previous disappointment. A Game 1 blowout loss was not exactly moving, but not all was lost.

Seventy-two combined points from Kiki Vandeweghe, Alex English, and Dan Issel lifted the Nuggets to a series tie, setting the stage for a road tiebreaker match. Affairs were competitive, going into overtime after a timely three-pointer from Mike Evans. Denver managed to claim victory as Alex English exploded for forty-two points, marking the franchise’s first series win since 1978.
West / Portland Trail Blazers beat Seattle SuperSonics, 2-0
The northwest’s favorite rivalry was back in action. Portland had never beaten Seattle in a series, but this was a better opportunity than ever – they had caught up to their contemporaries in overall roster quality, only worse by two wins and splitting the regular season series.

Despite the acrobatic production of Gus Williams, the Blazers stood their ground. Their supporting players were simply significantly better than Seattle’s, a claim further proven by sixth man Kenny Carr’s seventeen points in Game 2.

Semifinals

East / Milwaukee Bucks beat Boston Celtics, 4-0
Despite being among the Eastern Conference’s top contenders for years, the Bucks and Celtics had yet to meet in during the 80’s until now. Boston was rendered as the superior club due to their experience and personnel, but a down year for the 1981 Champions was a trait Milwaukee eyed closely.

The Bucks tore Boston apart in Game 1, shocking the Garden. A combination of the flu and a hand injury then kept Larry Bird out of the second match, resulting in consecutive home losses that spelt bad news for the Celtics. Not a single game favored them, with Marques Johnson eventually handling business in Game 4 with thirty-three points and nine rebounds.

Boston had now been swept, an occurrence considered pitiful for the storied franchise. Their last appearance on the wrong end of a playoff sweep was 1954, and this was their first in a seven-game format.
East / Philadelphia 76ers beat New York Knicks, 4-0
The 76ers were rested and immensely confident, with Moses Malone publicly betting on his club – “fo, fo, fo” was his prediction, claiming they would steamroll through the post-season lossless. This had yet to be done by an NBA team to date, but there was a first for everything…

Philadelphia got off to a proper start, dismantling the Knicks in a sweep. New York’s once-formidable defense collapsed, entirely incapable of guarding Malone and Maurice Cheeks. Out-gunning their adversaries was of no use, either – the only prolific scorer they had was Bernard King, who could not take down an army alone.
West / Los Angeles Lakers beat Portland Trail Blazers, 4-1
The last time Kareem Abdul-Jabbar stared down red jerseys of this hue, Los Angeles was in a darker place. Their supporting cast was a mess, they had no marketability, and were held to zero wins as Bill Walton’s Trail Blazers advanced to the Finals to win a championship.

Six years later, matters were different. The Lakers were now on pace to reach dynastic success, and Portland was devoid of a legitimate superstar. The Captain averaged thirty-three points through a few matches to jump to a 3-0 lead, sights locked on a Conference Finals appearance.

A hot start from the Blazers won them Game 4, but Norm Nixon’s fiery thirty-six-point bomb in the fifth contest ensured his club’s survival.
West / San Antonio Spurs beat Denver Nuggets, 4-1
Since migrating to the NBA, these former ABA franchises had yet to face off. They did via tiebreaker in their former league, but a meet in 1983 wasn’t quite the same as a Texas Chaparrals vs. Denver Rockets headline. In their modern form, fans were blessed with two offensive juggernauts speeding through the wonders of basketball.

San Antonio amply out-played Denver. Some highlights from the first few games included forty-two points from George Gervin in Game 1, twenty assists from Johnny Moore in Game 2, and a ludicrous 39/8/12 stat-line with five steals from the point guard a couple nights later.

The Nuggets finally managed a victory in Game 4 following an ugly shooting night from the Spurs. In response, San Antonio closed the series out with a forty-point victory – a profoundly disrespectful statement.

Conference Finals

East / Philadelphia 76ers beat Milwaukee Bucks, 4-1
Three years of 76ers-Bucks basketball. It was as inevitable as the Philadelphia-Boston rivalry at this point, but these teams could at least rejoice in the fall of their shared Massachusetts rival.

Milwaukee entered scrappy, even forcing overtime after a Junior Bridgeman game-tying shot. Their defense on Moses Malone was quality in Game 1, but the M.V.P. quickly broke through their schemes to win three straight matches.

The Bucks narrowly won the fourth game – therefore spoiling Malone’s playoff sweep hopes – but were shot down shortly after by the center’s twenty-eight points, seventeen rebounds and four blocks.
West / Los Angeles Lakers beat San Antonio Spurs, 4-2
A rematch of last year’s Western Conference Finals was underway, albeit with a major difference – Artis Gilmore. The multiple-time All-Star was the perfect asset to slow down Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, which energized San Antonio. To emphasize the validity of their poise, they beat Los Angeles 4-1 in the regular season series – they statistically had the defending champions’ number.

Wins were split in The Forum, but the Lakers mustered two road wins to build a cushioned series lead. San Antonio fought for their lives in Game 5 to keep their aspirations afloat, but they lost in soul-crushing fashion immediately after. Despite twenty-four points and eighteen rebounds from Artis Gilmore, the Texan team slipped into the losers’ column by one point.

Finals

Philadelphia 76ers beat Los Angeles Lakers, 4-0
The Finals was now presenting a clear-cut rivalry – these franchises had met at this stage for the third time in four years, and the 76ers were hungry to finally dethrone Los Angeles for a title of their own.

Moses Malone proved his status as the world’s best player, looking unstoppable in Philadelphia’s two home wins to begin the series. The Lakers jumped to a large lead in Game 3, comfortable in the Californian air – however, the play of Sixth Man of the Year Bobby Jones provided the 76ers with enough energy to come back and win yet again.

The chances of a Los Angeles repeat seemed close to zero at this point, considering a 3-0 lead had never been reversed. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Malone had a battle for the ages, with the thirty-five-year-old collecting more points – however, the reigning M.V.P. out-rebounded his rival by sixteen. This, in tandem with good performances from Julius Erving and Maurice Cheeks, was the dealbreaker – the 76ers were champions again for the first time in sixteen years.
The Philadelphia 76ers win the 1983 NBA championship!
Moses Malone was named the Finals Most Valuable Player.

Awards

Notes
Name(s) under the “All-Stars” section with an asterisk (*) were listed as the MVP of the All-Star Game that year. Those with “(IR)” next to their name were chosen to replace an injured star.

Major Awards

Rookie of the YearMVPFinals MVPCoach of the Year
Terry CummingsMoses MaloneMoses MaloneDon Nelson
Comeback Player of the YearDefensive Player of the YearSixth Man of the Year
Paul WestphalSidney MoncriefBobby Jones

All-NBA

All-NBA First TeamAll-NBA Second Team
Magic Johnson
Sidney Moncrief
Julius Erving
Larry Bird
Moses Malone		Isiah Thomas
George Gervin
Alex English
Buck Williams
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

All-Defensive

All-Defensive First TeamAll-Defensive Second Team
Maurice Cheeks
Dennis Johnson
Sidney Moncrief
Dan Roundfield
Bobby Jones
Moses Malone		T.R. Dunn
Michael Cooper
Larry Bird
Kevin McHale
Tree Rollins

All-Stars

Eastern All-StarsWestern All-Stars
Larry Bird
Maurice Cheeks
Julius Erving*
Marques Johnson
Bill Laimbeer
Moses Malone
Sidney Moncrief
Robert Parish
Reggie Theus
Isiah Thomas
Andrew Toney
Buck Williams		Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Alex English
George Gervin
Artis Gilmore
Magic Johnson
Maurice Lucas
Jim Paxson
Jack Sikma
David Thompson
Kiki Vandeweghe
Jamaal Wilkes
Gus Williams
East beats West, 132-123

All-Rookie

All-Rookie Team
Terry Cummings
Quintin Dailey
Clark Kellogg
Dominique Wilkins
James Worthy

All-Time Championship Leaderboard

Notes
The Baltimore Bullets (1947-1954) won the championship in 1948, but are defunct. As a result, they are not listed.

TeamCountYears
Celtics141957, 1959
1960, 1961
1962, 1963
1964, 1965
1966, 1967
1969, 1974
1976, 1981
Lakers81949, 1950
1952, 1953
1954, 1972
1980, 1982
Warriors31947, 1956
1975
76ers31955, 1967
1983
Knicks21970, 1973
Kings11951
Hawks11958
Bucks11971
Trail Blazers11977
Bullets11978
SuperSonics11979
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The NBA Time Machine: 1982

Posted on by in Sports, The NBA Time Machine

Published July 15, 2023

The NBA Time Machine:
1982

Butting Heads

Poison in the Lake

Coming off a bitter end to the 1980-81 season, the air was a tad toxic in the Los Angeles Lakers’ locker room. This was a byproduct of disputes between coach Paul Westhead and star player Magic Johnson.

Affairs begun on a decent note, with the team going 7-3 through their first ten games. Following a narrow win against the Utah Jazz in early November, the basketball community was rushed with shocking news as Johnson requested a trade to another team. He was becoming increasingly frustrated with Westhead’s coaching philosophy.

The traditionalist coach preferred to run deliberate plays that involved a patient halfcourt offense designed to feed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Johnson did not necessarily have any ill will towards his teammate and mentor, but his offensive ideologies could not have been more different. His vision involved embracing the fast break and demolishing opponent morale with speed and energy.

Given that Johnson could not realize his potential in this system, he reached a breaking point. It was now up to the front office to choose between their star or coach, and history favored the former. This situation was not exempt, as Westhead was fired less than twenty-four hours after news of the request materialized.

Pat Riley, who was an assistant, was ultimately nominated to take the lead role. His willingness to consider Johnson’s approach ultimately led to a fifty-seven-win season and a near-triple-double statistical average for the guard.

Pay Your Guard

In an era of growing player independence, Gus Williams was yet another talent complacent with dismissing his playing duties. The one-time champion sat out the entirety of the previous year, stripping the Seattle SuperSonics of a primary scoring option. They did manage to acquire the multiple-time All-Star Paul Westphal in a trade, but injury woes rendered that move a failure.

Williams’ primary motive for holding out was financial. The guard claimed he had personal reasons intensifying his choice, but they were not detailed. Seattle ultimately gave in, upgrading from a proposed five-hundred-thousand-dollar deal to a monumental one of three-million.

Due to managing his condition in missed time, Williams was far from rusty. He averaged career highs in scoring and assists, therefore receiving his first All-Star Game selection and the Comeback Player of the Year award. The SuperSonics also improved by eighteen games under his lead.

K.C. Kollapse

During the 1981 off-season, the Cleveland Cavaliers forwarded an offer sheet to Kansas City Kings star Otis Birdsong. The expectation was that the shooting guard would side with Cleveland, who had proposed a five-million-dollar agreement – unless the Kings matched the price or traded him, of course.

The reigning Western Conference Finalists were now met with a harsh ultimatum – fork up some significant funds, or lose the franchise’s best player of the last five years. They ultimately chose the latter in an exchange with the New Jersey Nets – Birdsong and a second-round draft pick were swapped for the young and promising power forward Cliff Robinson.

In further conflicts with Cleveland they also lost former All-Star Scott Wedman. While Kansas City did receive a first-round draft pick as compensation, this ripped apart their timeline – they were now working with a severely inexperienced roster that was unlikely to make any serious noise.

After trading Robinson mid-way through the season – to yes, you guessed it, the Cavaliers – Kansas City ultimately embraced a rebuilding period. They finished the season on a 14-18 run and clinched a bottom-five record in the NBA.

Just a Few Buckets

On March 6, the Milwaukee Bucks and San Antonio Spurs went head-to-head in what was an inconspicuous matchup. Both teams were very good, ensuring a quality show, but there were no particular implications at play.

What instead transpired was a historic moment – a triple-overtime showdown that resulted in the highest-scoring game in NBA history. San Antonio bested their adversaries with a 171-166 finish, witnessing ninety-five combined points from George Gervin and Mike Mitchell. Johnny Moore also dished out sixteen assists while only recording one turnover.

On the other end, Brian Winters and Junior Bridgeman recorded a jointed seventy-three points off the bench, nine of which came from three-point shots. Regardless, Milwaukee was bested and spiraled into a five-game losing streak due to exhaustion.

Calming the Thunder

Due to the established popularity of explosive dunks, the NBA was forced to consider the safety of their resources. They chose to implement breakaway rims – which were better-equipped for strong forces – to avoid ramifications such as player injury or shattered backboards. World-class dunkers, including Darryl Dawkins and David Thompson, were protected most by this decision.

Standout Players

Moses Malone

For the third time in the past four seasons, Malone led the NBA in rebounding. The Rockets’ forty-six wins was the third-highest total in franchise history, and he was awarded his second M.V.P. award for dragging a rather bleak supporting cast to the playoffs.

Larry Bird

The superstar forward reached another stage of offensive excellence, averaging career highs in scoring and assists. He also shot over fifty-percent from the field for the first time. Boston’s sixty-three win total became the second-highest the team had ever seen.

Julius Erving

It was yet another business year for the Doctor, who scored on blistering efficiency to keep Philadelphia in firm contention. Despite the gap between him and the next-highest scorer being eight points, the 76ers were a top-five ranked offense – a clear indicator of his impact, if there ever was one.

Magic Johnson

Despite being the proprietor of tension in the locker room, the Los Angeles Lakers had effectively handed the keys to Johnson. He was their best performer, only being half a rebound and assist short of averaging a triple double for the season. The guard also led the league in steals once again.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

This was not Abdul-Jabbar’s prettiest statistical showing – he averaged career lows in all major statistics, and finished with a single-digit rebound average for the first time. This was all by design, though – the improvement of Magic Johnson allowed the Captain to take a backseat in responsibility.

George Gervin

The Iceman won his fourth scoring title amidst yet another Spurs divisional title. This was the club’s fourth in the past five years. They also finished with a top-three offense behind Gervin’s tricks, setting the stage for what could be a competitive playoff run.

Around the League

Team Standings

Notes
An asterisk (*) indicates that the team qualified for the playoffs.

Eastern Conference
Atlantic DivisionWLCentral DivisionWL
Boston Celtics*6319Milwaukee Bucks*5527
Philadelphia 76ers*5824Atlanta Hawks*4240
New Jersey Nets*4438Detroit Pistons3943
Washington Bullets*4339Indiana Pacers3547
New York Knicks3349Chicago Bulls3448
Cleveland Cavaliers1567
Western Conference
Midwest DivisionWLPacific DivisionWL
San Antonio Spurs*4834Los Angeles Lakers*5725
Denver Nuggets*4636Seattle SuperSonics*5230
Houston Rockets*4636Phoenix Suns*4636
Kansas City Kings3052Golden State Warriors4537
Dallas Mavericks2854Portland Trail Blazers4240
Utah Jazz2557San Diego Clippers1765

Fun Facts

  • The New Jersey Nets earned their first winning season since joining the NBA.
  • Despite finishing with winning records, the Golden State Warriors and Portland Trail Blazers could not secure a playoff berth in the uber-competitive Pacific Division.
  • The twenty-five game gap separating the Portland Trail Blazers and San Diego Clippers was the largest between two divisional rivals since the format was implemented.
  • This was the Phoenix Suns’ first finish below fifty wins since 1978.
  • With four rotational pieces at thirty years of age or higher, the Houston Rockets were the clear-cut oldest squad around.
    • This was finalized by the acquiring of multiple-time All-Star Elvin Hayes, who was the oldest player in the NBA.
  • Alex English’s breakout was the catalyst for a Denver Nuggets bounce-back campaign.
    • Behind him, they sported a generational scoring arsenal – their average of 126.5 points per game was more than enough to boast the league’s top-ranked offense.
      • This was neutralized by their horrific defensive tendencies, giving up 126 points per game as well.

Notable Movement

Key

The player stats listed are based on their last tenure, whether it be with their former team or the previous season.
Name(s) under the “Top Draft Picks” section with a plus (+) opted to play in another league instead of the NBA this season.
p – points
r – rebounds
a – assists
s – steals
b – blocks

Top Draft Picks

#TeamPlayer
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10		Dallas Mavericks
Detroit Pistons
New Jersey Nets
Atlanta Hawks
Seattle SuperSonics
Chicago Bulls
Kansas City Kings
San Diego Clippers
Dallas Mavericks
New Jersey Nets		Mark Aguirre
Isiah Thomas
Buck Williams
Al Wood
Danny Vranes
Orlando Woolridge
Steve Johnson
Tom Chambers
Rolando Blackman
Albert King

Players

DatePlayerTeamActionDestinationStats
June 8, 1981Scott WedmanKansas City KingsSignedCleveland Cavaliers(19p/5.3r/2.8a)
June 8, 1981Otis BirdsongKansas City KingsTradedNew Jersey Nets(24.6p/3.6r/3.3a)
June 18, 1981Gus WilliamsSeattle SuperSonicsSigned (from holdout)Seattle SuperSonics(22.1p/4.8a/2.2s)
December 23, 1981Mike MitchellCleveland CavaliersTradedSan Antonio Spurs(19.6p/5.2r/1s)
February 12, 1982Paul WestphalSeattle SuperSonicsSignedNew York Knicks(16.7p/4.1a/1.3s)

Other Personnel

DatePersonTeamActionStats
November 19, 1981Coach Paul WestheadLos Angeles LakersFiredRecord: 7-4
November 19, 1981Coach Pat RileyLos Angeles LakersHiredRecord: 50-21
December 3, 1981Coach Don DelaneyCleveland CavaliersFiredRecord: 4-11
December 3, 1981Coach Bob KloppenburgCleveland CavaliersAppointed (Interim)Record: 0-3
December 4, 1981Coach Chuck DalyCleveland CavaliersHiredRecord: n/a
December 10, 1981Coach Tom NissalkeUtah JazzFiredRecord: 8-12
December 10, 1981Coach Frank LaydenUtah JazzHiredRecord: 17-45
February 17, 1982Coach Jerry SloanChicago BullsFiredRecord: 19-32
February 17, 1982Coach Phil JohnsonChicago BullsAppointed (Interim)Record: 0-1
March 8, 1982Coach Chuck DalyCleveland CavaliersFiredRecord: 9-32
March 8, 1982Coach Bill MusselmanCleveland CavaliersAppointed (Interim)Record: 2-21
May 14, 1982Coach Red HolzmanNew York KnicksRetiredRecord: 33-49
May 20, 1982Coach Hubie BrownNew York KnicksHiredRecord: n/a

Retirements

PlayerTeam(s)Notable Accomplishments
Phil ChenierWashington Bullets
Indiana Pacers
Golden State Warriors		1x Champion
1x All-NBA
3x All-Star
1972 All-Rookie Team
Doug CollinsPhiladelphia 76ers4x All-Star
Rudy TomjanovichHouston Rockets5x All-Star
Wes UnseldWashington Bullets1x Champion
1x Finals MVP
1x MVP
1x All-NBA
5x All-Star
1969 Rookie of the Year
1969 All-Rookie Team
1x Rebounds Leader
Jo Jo WhiteBoston Celtics
Golden State Warriors
Kansas City Kings		2x Champion
1x Finals MVP
2x All-NBA
7x All-Star
1970 All-Rookie Team
Sidney WicksPortland Trail Blazers
Boston Celtics
San Diego Clippers		4x All-Star
1972 Rookie of the Year
1972 All-Rookie Team

League Leaders

Key

PPG – points per game
RPG – rebounds per game
APG – assists per game
SPG – steals per game
BPG – blocks per game
FG% – field goal percentage (percentage of shots that hit)
FT% – free throw percentage (percentage of foul shots that hit)
3P% – three-point field goal percentage (percentage of three-point shots that hit)

StatLeaders
PPGGeorge Gervin (32.3)
Moses Malone (31.1)
Adrian Dantley (30.3)
Alex English (25.4)
Julius Erving (24.4)
RPGMoses Malone (14.7)
Jack Sikma (12.7)
Buck Williams (12.3)
Mychal Thompson (11.7)
Maurice Lucas (11.3)
APGJohnny Moore (9.6)
Magic Johnson (9.5)
Maurice Cheeks (8.4)
Tiny Archibald (8)
Norm Nixon (8)
SPGMagic Johnson (2.7)
Maurice Cheeks (2.6)
Micheal Ray Richardson (2.6)
Quinn Buckner (2.5)
Ray Williams (2.4)
BPGGeorge Johnson (3.1)
Tree Rollins (2.8)
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (2.7)
Artis Gilmore (2.7)
Robert Parish (2.4)
FG%Artis Gilmore (65%)
Steve Johnson (61%)
Buck Williams (58%)
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (57%)
Calvin Natt (57%)
FT%Kyle Macy (89%)
Charlie Criss (88%)
John Long (86%)
George Gervin (86%)
Larry Bird (86%)
3P%Campy Russell (43%)
Andrew Toney (42%)
Kyle Macy (39%)
Brian Winters (38%)
Don Buse (38%)

Playoffs

First Round

East / Philadelphia 76ers beat Atlanta Hawks, 2-0
After a strange down year that involved a playoff absence, the Hawks returned to form and looked to upset the fiery 76ers. Chances were slim, but anything was possible for a team known to defy odds.

Atlanta entered flat, giving Philadelphia a free lane to win. The latter took Game 1 by a staggering thirty-five points, an effort that commenced after Darryl Dawkins set the tone. The center had twenty-seven points, nine rebounds, and eight blocks.

Dan Roundfield of the Hawks made the second match much more competitive, even going to overtime. However, the 76ers squeezed through by a narrow three-point margin to secure a playoff advance.
East / Washington Bullets beat New Jersey Nets, 2-0
Only separated by one game in the win column, either club could conceivably advance to the Semifinals. Both were known for their defensive aptitude, with New Jersey particularly standing out in that regard – however, their personnel situation was much less enticing. Otis Birdsong, their newest acquisition, was out to injury which damaged their depth.

Washington took both matches comfortably, with the former being powered by eighteen points and twenty rebounds from Jeff Ruland off the bench. The Nets simply failed to find an offensive rhythm, something the presence of Birdsong would have rectified.
West / Phoenix Suns beat Denver Nuggets, 2-1
These Western Conference representatives had never met in the post-season before, despite being mutual contenders for a number of years. Their philosophies were antithetical – the Suns won games with draining defense and depth, while Denver was a top-heavy roster that wanted to run-and-gun at all times.

Home games were split, causing an arrangement for Game 3. A strong third quarter from Phoenix – as well as thirty points from Walter Davis off the bench – was enough to get by and maintain the franchise’s four-year streak of Semifinals appearances.
West / Seattle SuperSonics beat Houston Rockets, 2-1
The Rockets may have been defending Conference Champions, but Seattle’s re-emergence as a powerhouse was concerning. The presence of Gus Williams was enough to change a team’s pace and effectiveness, something Houston was required to monitor.

Williams and Moses Malone swapped big performances in wins for their clubs, indicating a tiebreaker was imminent. Despite a decent outing from Malone, the Rockets’ putrid depth was a sight to see for the SuperSonics. Jack Sikma’s thirty points and seventeen rebounds led the team to a series win.

Semifinals

East / Boston Celtics beat Washington Bullets, 4-1
Boston and Washington had not met in the post-season since the 1975 Eastern Conference Finals. These were entirely different cores now, led by Larry Bird and Greg Ballard as opposed to Dave Cowens and Elvin Hayes.

Game 1 was a solid Celtics win, and the second match was looking to be the same – Frank Johnson of the Bullets thought otherwise, hitting a three-pointer to put his club up with three seconds left. Following this 1-1 series tie, Boston took a hefty lead behind big showings from Robert Parish.

The fifth game was down to the wire, with Jeff Ruland hitting a couple free throws at the end to force overtime. No progress was made as it eventually went to a second period, where the Celtics finally pulled away. Parish recorded thirty-three points, thirteen rebounds, three assists, and six blocks in the series-clinching victory.
East / Philadelphia 76ers beat Milwaukee Bucks, 4-2
Milwaukee and Philadelphia returned right where they left off last year – in the Semifinals. Both teams were still just about as even as possible, although the Bucks had a 4-2 advantage in the regular season series.

Cream City’s club struggled to effectively close out games – the 76ers jumped to a 3-1 lead in no time, and the singular loss stemmed from a Sidney Moncrief walk-off buzzer beater. Six double-digit Milwaukee scorers earned the ownership of Game 5, but the entire team – sans Mickey Johnson – shriveled in the must-win sixth match.
West / Los Angeles Lakers beat Phoenix Suns, 4-0
Historically speaking, the Lakers simply had Phoenix’s number. They just gentleman’s swept them a couple years prior, and their chances seemed even prettier this time around.

Consecutive Magic Johnson triple-doubles in blowout wins killed the Suns’ morale immediately. The superstar continued to thoroughly pick apart his opponent in the following outings, eventually leading Los Angeles to a full-power sweep.

Offense bolstered the Lakers – four of the series’ top-five scorers were on their side.
West / San Antonio Spurs beat Seattle SuperSonics, 4-1
A game winner from George Gervin was the first taste fans experienced in this duel, giving the Spurs a quick 1-0 lead. Gus Williams’ determination was enough to keep Seattle in the mix – his thirty-four points and nine assists tied up affairs.

Uninterested in losing their edge, San Antonio pulled off three straight wins behind balanced team performances to advance in five games. Williams was absolutely nuclear offensively but did not receive enough help from his supporting cast, sending the SuperSonics into an anticlimactic defeat.

Conference Finals

East / Philadelphia 76ers beat Boston Celtics, 4-3
For the third consecutive season, the Eastern Conference’s two best teams met in the Conference Finals. This series was perhaps the most important of these teams to date – not only would it break a 1-1 tie, but could open up the gates for a Celtics repeat or long-coveted 76ers title.

On what has been dubbed the “Mother’s Day Massacre”, Boston opened the series with a vicious forty-point blowout led by Larry Bird’s triple-double. Philadelphia responded maturely, securing the next three games behind Andrew Toney’s blistering twenty-eight-point scoring average. The young guard had begun to develop a reputation of being a Celtic killer, earning the nickname “The Boston Strangler”.

Now down 3-1, the green team was in a familiar position. They had overcome this sort of deficit just a season ago, and seemed prepared to replicate that after winning two matches to force Game 7. Thirty-four points from Toney prevented history from repeating, though – he helped Philadelphia enjoy a cushioned win that confirmed their third Finals appearance in the past six years.

Despite the series loss, Boston fans still had life in them – as they watched their players concede defeat, “Beat LA!” chants were heard across the Garden to motivate the lesser of two rivals.
West / Los Angeles Lakers beat San Antonio Spurs, 4-0
Now in the Conference Finals again for the first time since 1979, the Spurs had a large task awaiting them. Dismantling Los Angeles, who had just about all factors in their favor, would not be easy.

Simply put, San Antonio did not have the roster construction to outplay the Lakers. The latter ran too deep in their rotation while also giving minutes to multiple superstars. George Gervin averaged a strong thirty-two points per game for the series, but one man could not defeat an army.

Finals

Los Angeles Lakers beat Philadelphia 76ers, 4-2
After losing in six games to the Lakers in 1980, Philadelphia had redemption in their sights. They had still yet to win a title in the Julius Erving era, instead riding the coattails of the historic 1967 championship run.

Both teams won a game apiece to open up matters, enjoying the benefit of having multiple double-digit scorers. Despite motivating showings from Andrew Toney, the 76ers dropped both road matches and ended up down 3-1 on the plane ride home. They blew Los Angeles out in Game 5 behind Toney’s thirty-one points and eight assists, but had to enter the sixth contest with a different mentality than what was displayed a couple years ago.

Los Angeles thoroughly controlled the pace – offensive rebounds were not their ex-factor this time around, but instead ball movement. Magic Johnson compiled an absurd 13/13/13 stat-line with four steals – he only attempted three shots total, but managed to have an irreplaceable impact on the club’s success. Such manipulation on team morale was unheard of.

Also enormous in this match were Bob McAdoo and Michael Cooper, who combined for thirty-two points off the bench. Not even Toney and Julius Erving’s determination could nullify the makings of such a complete adversary – they had been sent home empty-handed once more, paving the way for the Lakers’ eighth NBA championship.
The Los Angeles Lakers win the 1982 NBA championship!
Magic Johnson was named the Finals Most Valuable Player.

Awards

Notes
Name(s) under the “All-Stars” section with an asterisk (*) were listed as the MVP of the All-Star Game that year. Those with “(IR)” next to their name were chosen to replace an injured star.

Major Awards

Rookie of the YearMVPFinals MVP
Buck WilliamsMoses MaloneMagic Johnson
Coach of the YearComeback Player of the Year
Gene ShueGus Williams

All-NBA

All-NBA First TeamAll-NBA Second Team
Gus Williams
George Gervin
Julius Erving
Larry Bird
Moses Malone		Magic Johnson
Sidney Moncrief
Bernard King
Alex English
Robert Parish

All-Defensive

All-Defensive First TeamAll-Defensive Second Team
Dennis Johnson
Michael Cooper
Dan Roundfield
Bobby Jones
Caldwell Jones		Quinn Buckner
Sidney Moncrief
Lonnie Shelton
Larry Bird
Jack Sikma

All-Stars

Eastern All-StarsWestern All-Stars
Tiny Archibald
Larry Bird*
Julius Erving
Artis Gilmore
Bobby Jones
Bob Lanier
Sidney Moncrief
Robert Parish
Micheal Ray Richardson
Dan Roundfield
Isiah Thomas
Kelly Tripucka (IR)
Buck Williams		Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Adrian Dantley
Alex English
George Gervin
Dennis Johnson
Magic Johnson
Bernard King
Moses Malone
Norm Nixon
Lonnie Shelton
Jack Sikma
Gus Williams
East beats West, 120-118

All-Rookie

All-Rookie Team
Jeff Ruland
Isiah Thomas
Kelly Tripucka
Jay Vincent
Buck Williams

All-Time Championship Leaderboard

Notes
The Baltimore Bullets (1947-1954) won the championship in 1948, but are defunct. As a result, they are not listed.

TeamCountYears
Celtics141957, 1959
1960, 1961
1962, 1963
1964, 1965
1966, 1967
1969, 1974
1976, 1981
Lakers81949, 1950
1952, 1953
1954, 1972
1980, 1982
Warriors31947, 1956
1975
76ers21955, 1967
Knicks21970, 1973
Kings11951
Hawks11958
Bucks11971
Trail Blazers11977
Bullets11978
SuperSonics11979
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The NBA Time Machine: 1980

Posted on by in Sports, The NBA Time Machine

Published June 26, 2023

The NBA Time Machine:
1980

New Beginnings

Rookie Takeover

It had been years since the league received a duo of elite rookie prospects. The last time was perhaps in 1969, when Elvin Hayes and Wes Unseld – who ironically won a championship together years later – were drafted by the San Diego Rockets and Baltimore Bullets.

This new era of the NBA was now slated to watch the uprising of Magic Johnson and Larry Bird, two great college players that had coincidentally clashed in the NCAA championship game. Johnson’s Michigan State Spartans defeated Bird’s Indiana State Sycamores, which set the tone for what could be a long-term superstar feud in the future. To make destiny feel even more clear, they were drafted to historic rivals in the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics, respectively.

Larry Bird

Bird’s impact stunned the basketball world, as the Celtics transformed from being a bottom feeder to possessing the league’s best overall record. His combination of scoring prowess, crafty playmaking and good defense revitalized the team, most notably former superstars Dave Cowens and Tiny Archibald.

He was a runaway favorite for the Rookie of the Year award, joining Cowens and Tom Heinsohn as the only Celtics recipients. He also finished fourth in M.V.P. voting.

Magic Johnson

Expectations for Johnson were a bit different – projections casted him as a possible future cornerstone, but not the Lakers’ surefire leader. They still had a five-time M.V.P. in Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and providing the superstar with another great piece was the goal of the draft.

His integration to the roster was absurd, continuing to play as a guard despite media declaring him as a forward. A backcourt duo of Norm Nixon and Johnson was a playmaking delight, and helped Abdul-Jabbar achieve the highest field goal percentage of his career.

However, Johnson’s impact may have been larger than the stat sheet implied. The late-70’s Lakers were characterized by sluggish, deliberate halfcourt play that was over-reliant on Abdul-Jabbar’s scoring. This made them incredibly efficient, but also predictable in playoff situations.

The rookie’s affinity for fast-paced ball movement and abusing the fast break made the team play with greater energy overall, becoming the top-ranked offense league-wide. Such a style also established them as must-watch television, a reputation the charismatic Johnson only solidified more.

Up in Utah

While the New Orleans Jazz were beloved by Louisianan citizens, their existence in the southern state was unsustainable due to financial concerns. Not only was their facility situation awful – with the Louisiana Superdome charging absurd prices for home games – but they could not withstand the atrocious amusement tax in the state either.

Bad decisions also plagued the organization. After signing Gail Goodrich in 1976, they sent draft capital to the Los Angeles Lakers as compensation. Part of this was their highest pick in the 1979 draft – the Lakers used that pick this season to select Magic Johnson, who was already an All-Star as a rookie. The Jazz had also given up the rights to Moses Malone in exchange for one of those draft picks, leaving them with few valuable assets. Malone was voted as the league’s M.V.P. in 1979 and blossomed into a legitimate superstar.

The front office eventually opted for a hard reset, moving to Salt Lake City and becoming the Utah Jazz. They could at least bank on the idea that the small market had a dedicated fanbase, considering the presence of the ABA’s Utah Stars not too long ago.

At the very least, Lakers forward Adrian Dantley was traded to the franchise and surprisingly developed into a lethal scorer. He finished top three in points per game, scoring twenty-eight on excellent shooting splits.

From Way Downtown!

The concept of an extra-valuable, long-distance field goal had existed since the mid-40’s. Colleges experimented with it in spurts for a very long time, and other professional leagues – including the American Basketball League, Eastern Professional Basketball League, and American Basketball Association – had incorporated it into their rulebook.

After witnessing the popularity of the three-point shot in the ABA, the NBA was eager to give it a chance. They adopted it on a one-year trial, initially met with significant friction. Many viewed the mechanic as a cheap gimmick to garner fan interest, but there was not enough resistance to denounce the decision entirely.

Three-pointers were seldom used, only accounting for about three of a team’s ninety field goals on average. It was also considered inefficient, with the league finishing at about twenty-eight percent overall.

Regardless, there were a few specialists. Fred Brown of the Seattle SuperSonics led the league on a blistering hot forty-four percent a game, and Rick Barry of the Houston Rockets finished first in three-point attempts on above-average efficiency as well.

The best overall three-point shooting team was the Boston Celtics by a large margin – Chris Ford and Larry Bird were both great from outside. The former also delivered the first ever recorded three-point field goal on opening night, helping Boston secure a win against the Houston Rockets.

Big Bucks

The Milwaukee Bucks had already secured a gem of a player in Marques Johnson, who was entering his third year. However, a mid-season trade brought Bob Lanier of the Detroit Pistons to the team, which had exciting implications.

Milwaukee had a 20-6 record after acquiring Lanier, which translated to a sixty-win pace. Their overall points per game increased by eight in this stretch, confirming the big man’s ability to impact any roster.

Cable

The Madison Square Garden Network had televised a handful of NBA events, including the 1969 playoffs and some New York Knicks games. The league signed a deal with the network – which rebranded as The USA Network in April of 1980 – to earn its first ever cable television partnership.

Standout Players

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

While averaging a career high in efficiency – at a whopping sixty percent from the floor – Abdul-Jabbar was selected for his sixth M.V.P. award. This broke Bill Russell’s previous record of M.V.P. selections at five. Los Angeles also had their first sixty win season since 1973, long before the Captain arrived in Los Angeles.

Larry Bird

The 1978 top ten draft pick finally arrived to play for the Boston Celtics, compiling one of the greatest rookie seasons of all-time. The team improved by a staggering thirty-two games, and he led them in scoring, rebounding, and steals.

Julius Erving

While Dr. J had always been a superstar in the late-70’s, his play this year resembled his ABA days more. He averaged NBA career highs in scoring, steals, blocks, and field goal percentage. Philadelphia’s final record of fifty-nine wins was also their highest since 1968.

Micheal Ray Richardson

The Knicks sophomore had an enormous breakout year after being elected as a starter. Richardson led all players in assists and steals, and the Knicks improved by eight games. They won enough to be playoff-eligible, but lost the record tiebreaker to the Washington Bullets.

Gus Williams

Averaging career highs in every major statistic besides blocks, the Seattle guard was entering his prime. He was firmly the best offensive talent on the SuperSonics, and their fifty-six win finish was the best in franchise history.

Moses Malone

While not quite an M.V.P. favorite this time around, Malone still had a great year. He finished top five in scoring and only second to Swen Nater in rebounding. The Rockets were unfortunately much less imposing this season, but still boasted an elite offense under his lead.

Around the League

Team Standings

Notes
An asterisk (*) indicates that the team qualified for the playoffs.

Eastern Conference
Atlantic DivisionWLCentral DivisionWL
Boston Celtics*6121Atlanta Hawks*5032
Philadelphia 76ers*5923Houston Rockets*4141
Washington Bullets*3943San Antonio Spurs*4141
New York Knicks3943Indiana Pacers3745
New Jersey Nets3448Cleveland Cavaliers3745
Detroit Pistons1666
Western Conference
Midwest DivisionWLPacific DivisionWL
Milwaukee Bucks*4933Los Angeles Lakers*6022
Kansas City Kings*4735Seattle SuperSonics*5626
Denver Nuggets3052Phoenix Suns*5527
Chicago Bulls3052Portland Trail Blazers*3844
Utah Jazz2458San Diego Clippers3547
Golden State Warriors2458

Fun Facts

  • The Boston Celtics executed the best single-season turnaround in NBA history, improving by thirty-two wins behind the play of Larry Bird.
  • The Detroit Pistons’ sixteen wins was among the lowest totals ever, and was the least by a team since the nine-win Philadelphia 76ers in 1973.
  • Swarmed by injuries and sudden roster changes, the Denver Nuggets managed their first losing season since joining the NBA.
  • This was the Atlanta Hawks’ first fifty-win campaign since leaving St. Louis.
  • This was the first time an NBA team reached sixty wins in a season since 1975.
    • Both the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers boasted this achievement.
  • Defense continued to be the motto of the young Kansas City Kings, who tied the Philadelphia 76ers for the top-ranked defense league-wide.
  • This was the Washington Bullets’ first losing season in the Wes Unseld-Elvin Hayes era.

Notable Movement

Key

The player stats listed are based on their last tenure, whether it be with their former team or the previous season.
Name(s) under the “Top Draft Picks” section with a plus (+) opted to play in another league instead of the NBA this season.
p – points
r – rebounds
a – assists
s – steals
b – blocks

Top Draft Picks

#TeamPlayer
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10		Los Angeles Lakers
Chicago Bulls
New York Knicks
Detroit Pistons
Milwaukee Bucks
Seattle SuperSonics
Seattle SuperSonics
New Jersey Nets
New York Knicks
Detroit Pistons		Magic Johnson
David Greenwood
Bill Cartwright
Greg Kelser
Sidney Moncrief
James Bailey
Vinnie Johnson
Calvin Natt
Larry Demic
Roy Hamilton

Players

DatePlayerTeamActionDestinationStats
July 12, 1979Kevin PorterDetroit PistonsSignedWashington Bullets(15.4p/13.4a/1.9s)
July 24, 1979M.L. CarrDetroit PistonsSignedBoston Celtics(18.7p/7.4r/2.5s)
January 17, 1980Pete MaravichUtah JazzSignedBoston Celtics(17.1p/2.4r/3.2a)
February 1, 1980George McGinnisDenver NuggetsTradedIndiana Pacers(15.6p/10.3r/4.9a)
February 4, 1980Bob LanierDetroit PistonsTradedMilwaukee Bucks(21.7p/10.1r/3.3a)
February 8, 1980Maurice LucasPortland Trail BlazersTradedNew Jersey Nets(14.3p/7.9r/3a)

Other Personnel

DatePersonTeamActionStats
June 18, 1979Coach Tom NissalkeHouston RocketsResignedRecord: 47-34
June 18, 1979Coach Del HarrisHouston RocketsHiredRecord: n/a
June 19, 1979Coach Tom NissalkeUtah JazzHiredRecord: n/a
June 30, 1979Coach Jack McKinneyLos Angeles LakersHiredRecord: n/a
July 23, 1979Coach Stan AlbeckCleveland CavaliersHiredRecord: n/a
November 8, 1979Coach Dick VitaleDetroit PistonsFiredRecord: 4-8
November 8, 1979Coach Richie AdubatoDetroit PistonsAppointed (Interim)Record: 12-58
November 8, 1979Coach Paul WestheadLos Angeles LakersAppointed (Interim)Record: 50-18
March 1, 1980Coach Doug MoeSan Antonio SpursFiredRecord: 33-33
March 1, 1980Coach Bob BassSan Antonio SpursAppointed (Interim)Record: 8-8
May 1, 1980Coach Gene ShueSan Diego ClippersResignedRecord: 35-47

Retirements

PlayerTeam(s)Notable Accomplishments
Gail GoodrichLos Angeles Lakers
Phoenix Suns
New Orleans Jazz		1x Champion
1x All-NBA
5x All-Star
Lou HudsonAtlanta Hawks
Los Angeles Lakers		1x All-NBA
6x All-Star
1967 All-Rookie Team
Norm Van LierCincinnati Royals
Chicago Bulls
Milwaukee Bucks		1x All-NBA
3x All-Star
8x All-Defensive
1x Assists Leader

League Leaders

Key

PPG – points per game
RPG – rebounds per game
APG – assists per game
SPG – steals per game
BPG – blocks per game
FG% – field goal percentage (percentage of shots that hit)
FT% – free throw percentage (percentage of foul shots that hit)
3P% – three-point field goal percentage (percentage of three-point shots that hit)

StatLeaders
PPGGeorge Gervin (33.1)
Lloyd Free (30.2)
Adrian Dantley (28)
Julius Erving (26.9)
Moses Malone (25.8)
RPGSwen Nater (15)
Moses Malone (14.5)
Wes Unseld (13.3)
Caldwell Jones (11.9)
Jack Sikma (11.1)
APGMicheal Ray Richardson (10.1)
Tiny Archibald (8.4)
Foots Walker (8)
Norm Nixon (7.8)
John Lucas (7.5)
SPGMicheal Ray Richardson (3.2)
Eddie Jordan (2.7)
Dudley Bradley (2.6)
Gus Williams (2.4)
Magic Johnson (2.4)
BPGKareem Abdul-Jabbar (3.4)
George Johnson (3.2)
Tree Rollins (3)
Terry Tyler (2.7)
Elvin Hayes (2.3)
FG%Cedric Maxwell (60%)
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (60%)
Artis Gilmore (59%)
Adrian Dantley (57%)
Tom Boswell (56%)
FT%Rick Barry (93%)
Calvin Murphy (89%)
Ron Boone (89%)
James Silas (88%)
Mike Newlin (88%)
3P%Fred Brown (44%)
Chris Ford (42%)
Larry Bird (40%)
John Roche (38%)
Brian Taylor (37%)

Playoffs

First Round

East / Houston Rockets beat San Antonio Spurs, 2-1
This was the first instance of the two Texan teams facing off in the post-season, and both were incredibly average this year. Given they split their season series, the Rockets gained homecourt advantage because of a better record within their division.

Game 1 was ugly on both ends, but Calvin Murphy’s shot creation brought the Rockets over the edge. A scorching forty-four points from George Gervin saved the Spurs’ season, but it was not enough. Houston blew out San Antonio by twenty-one points in the tiebreaker, thanks to seventy combined points from Murphy and Moses Malone.
East / Philadelphia 76ers beat Washington Bullets, 2-0
The defending Eastern Conference Champions had hit a low point, struggling to win without star forward Bob Dandridge. He was still unavailable for the playoffs, which deprived Washington of scoring opportunities and a reliable defender for Julius Erving.

Philadelphia embarrassed the Bullets in Game 1, and their shallow wing depth showed in the second. Erving scored thirty-one points in that match, granting the 76ers a quick first round sweep.
West / Phoenix Suns beat Kansas City Kings, 2-1
After bowing out to Phoenix in an anticlimactic five games last year, the Kings looked to rectify their mistakes. They lacked homecourt advantage and were facing an even better Suns roster, but always had a chance behind their stiff defense.

The teams split the first couple matches, with Otis Birdsong and Scott Wedman securing a Game 2 victory for Kansas City. However, the Kings struggled mightily in the third game – they shot terribly from the floor and lacked bench production, which sent them home early for the second consecutive season.
West / Seattle SuperSonics beat Portland Trail Blazers, 2-1
The infamous northwest matchup returned early this time around, with neither club eligible for a “bye” round. The SuperSonics were expected to dismantle Portland as defending champions, especially given the Blazers had a very mediocre season.

Seattle lost in surprisng fashion during Game 2’s overtime period, with Blazers players Calvin Natt and Ron Brewer leading the charge. However, a powerful offensive showing from the SuperSonics – including seventeen Fred Brown points – kept them in the tournament.

Semifinals

East / Boston Celtics beat Houston Rockets, 4-0
Houston may have escaped the first round, but were slated for a grueling matchup against the Celtics. Boston had prowess on both ends of the ball and the interior defenders necessary to disrupt Moses Malone.

Practically every game ended in blowout fashion – the Rockets could not keep up with the balance of Boston’s offense, and Malone wasn’t getting enough help from his supporting cast. It didn’t help that Larry Bird delivered a 34/10/7 stat-line in Game 4, sealing the lossless run on the road.
East / Philadelphia 76ers beat Atlanta Hawks, 4-1
The Hawks were a well-rounded scoring team with good depth, but there were doubts regarding their ability to match Philadelphia’s top-end talent. The 76ers won both of the first two games convincingly, largely thanks to big games from Bobby Jones off the bench. Twenty points and thirteen rebounds from Atlanta’s Steve Hawes saved their season, but to no avail.

Jones’ scorching sixth man performances continued to uplift Philadelphia in Game 4, giving the team a cushioned lead. Sixty combined points from Julius Erving and Darryl Dawkins ended business, bringing the 76ers back to the Conference Finals.
West / Los Angeles Lakers beat Phoenix Suns, 4-1
Phoenix and Los Angeles, despite their relative closeness, had not met in the playoffs since 1970. In that series, the Lakers completed a rare 3-1 comeback to advance. Neither roster was the same, meaning the resentment from that altercation was long gone – however, the potential for a new generation of west coast battles was there.

Los Angeles shredded the Suns en route to a 3-0 lead, fully comfortable with over-utilizing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s scoring. Phoenix lacked the personnel to contain him, and he averaged thirty-three points over that stretch.

The Suns played desperately in their Game 4 victory, improving their defense on Abdul-Jabbar and limiting Magic Johnson to only four field goal attempts. A home victory from the Lakers destroyed any chance of a comeback though, setting up their first Conference Finals appearance since 1977.
West / Seattle SuperSonics beat Milwaukee Bucks, 4-3
The intensity of this series was shocking from the jump. Game 1 ended in unbelievable fashion when Dennis Johnson recorded the first ever three-point game winning shot, giving Seattle a one point lead at the end of overtime. The second match reached an overtime period as well, with Milwaukee tying the series.

Both clubs continued to trade victories, which excited fans. Game 5 broke the NBA record for in-game attendance, with over 40,000 Seattle fans witnessing their team lose at home. A one-point victory from the SuperSonics in Game 6 forced a tiebreaker, which was bound to be intense.

Gus Williams translated his regular season dominance to the playoffs, dropping thirty-three points to run away with the series. This resulted in Seattle’s third consecutive final four appearance, keeping their hopes alive for a title repeat.

Conference Finals

East / Philadelphia 76ers beat Boston Celtics, 4-1
This was expected to be the most competitive playoff duel yet, as both teams were loaded with talent and split their regular season series. Boston held a significant advantage offensively, but the 76ers’ experience and defense was undeniable.

The first two games were split one apiece, but Philadelphia pushed to a 3-1 lead behind some phenomenal play from Julius Erving. A comeback was not unfathomable, but Boston was in a bad position – this next home game was imperative to their success.

Lionel Hollins and Bobby Jones were the unsung heroes of Game 5, helping the 76ers gentleman’s sweep their rivals and head back to the Finals stage. Philadelphia’s defense on Larry Bird was also magnificent, holding him to twelve points on five-for-nineteen shooting.
West / Los Angeles Lakers beat Seattle SuperSonics, 4-1
Los Angeles had a lot to prove here – could they dethrone Seattle and fight at the Finals stage for the first time in seven years? The possibility was there, but a one-point loss in Game 1 at home didn’t exactly look promising.

The Lakers responded aggressively, winning the next four games straight to dismantle the defending champions. The SuperSonics were largely hurt by a lack of typical homecourt advantage – neither of their usual arenas were available, and they were instead forced to play at the small Hec Edmundson Pavilion.

As expected, absolutely nothing could stop Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. His status as the best player in the world was uncontested, and the Eastern Conference Finals winner needed to gameplan immaculately to even have a chance.

Finals

Los Angeles Lakers beat Philadelphia 76ers, 4-2
A Lakers-76ers Finals matchup was rare for the league, but exciting given the big market pull. The last time these franchises met this late in the playoffs was 1954 – back then, they were based in Minneapolis and Syracuse, respectively.

Philadelphia was clueless guarding Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, but managed to grab a road win in Game 2 to keep the record even. Their defense on the reigning M.V.P. improved, eventually paving the way for a 2-2 series tie. Darryl Dawkins delivered a statement twenty-six points to win the fourth match, and fans at the Spectrum witnessed Julius Erving perform an unbelievable up-and-under layup from behind the backboard. This move was regarded as an instant classic highlight, truly summarizing the magical scoring of Dr. J.

An electric third quarter from Los Angeles in Game 5 gave them a strong lead that the 76ers could not dissolve. Abdul-Jabbar’s determination was inspiring, dropping forty points and a clutch end-game dunk on a bad ankle to confirm the win.

Game 6 could have been a predictable loss for the Lakers, who were now without their superstar center – however, Magic Johnson had other plans. The rookie decided to start the game at the center position, which was an unbelievable display of versatility from the typical shooting guard. He dropped forty-two points, fifteen rebounds, seven assists, and three steals to will Los Angeles to a series-clinching victory.

Johnson’s performance was immediately regarded as one of the greatest in NBA history, especially when considering his poise for a first-year player. Despite Abdul-Jabbar generally being better throughout the series, the twenty-year-old’s showing won him the Finals MVP award. He became the first rookie to receive it, which certainly made up for losing the Rookie of the Year race.
The Los Angeles Lakers win the 1980 NBA championship!
Magic Johnson was named the Finals Most Valuable Player.

Awards

Notes
Name(s) under the “All-Stars” section with an asterisk (*) were listed as the MVP of the All-Star Game that year. Those with “(IR)” next to their name were chosen to replace an injured star.

Major Awards

Rookie of the YearMVPFinals MVPCoach of the Year
Larry BirdKareem Abdul-JabbarMagic JohnsonBill Fitch

All-NBA

All-NBA First TeamAll-NBA Second Team
Paul Westphal
George Gervin
Julius Erving
Larry Bird
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar		Gus Williams
Dennis Johnson
Marques Johnson
Dan Roundfield
Moses Malone

All-Defensive

All-Defensive First TeamAll-Defensive Second Team
Don Buse
Dennis Johnson
Micheal Ray Richardson
Bobby Jones
Dan Roundfield
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar		Quinn Buckner
Eddie Johnson
Scott Wedman
Kermit Washington
Dave Cowens

All-Stars

Eastern All-StarsWestern All-Stars
Tiny Archibald
Larry Bird
Bill Cartwright (IR)
Dave Cowens
John Drew
Julius Erving
George Gervin*
Elvin Hayes
Eddie Johnson
Moses Malone
Micheal Ray Richardson
Dan Roundfield		Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Otis Birdsong
Adrian Dantley
Walter Davis
Lloyd Free
Dennis Johnson
Marques Johnson
Magic Johnson
Jack Sikma
Kermit Washington (IR)
Scott Wedman
Paul Westphal
East beats West, 144-136

All-Rookie

All-Rookie Team
Larry Bird
Bill Cartwright
Dave Greenwood
Magic Johnson
Calvin Natt

All-Time Championship Leaderboard

Notes
The Baltimore Bullets (1947-1954) won the championship in 1948, but are defunct. As a result, they are not listed.

TeamCountYears
Celtics131957, 1959
1960, 1961
1962, 1963
1964, 1965
1966, 1967
1969, 1974
1976
Lakers71949, 1950
1952, 1953
1954, 1972
1980
Warriors31947, 1956
1975
76ers21955, 1967
Knicks21970, 1973
Kings11951
Hawks11958
Bucks11971
Trail Blazers11977
Bullets11978
SuperSonics11979

The NBA Time Machine: 1973

Posted on by in Sports, The NBA Time Machine

Published May 15, 2023

The NBA Time Machine:
1973

Relocating Royalty

Moving west

Since 1968, Cincinnati Royals personnel had been eyeing game opportunities in Omaha, Nebraska. They had played plenty of “home” matches in the city over the past half a decade, ranging from twelve to forty-two in a season.

This was the year the franchise permanently committed, dubbing themselves the Kansas City-Omaha Kings and splitting their home schedule between the two cities. They adopted the “Kings” surname to avoid confusion with the Kansas City Royals MLB team.

Due to this relocation, there were divisional re-assignments:

  • The Kansas City-Omaha Kings were moved from the Central Division to the Midwest Division, also placing them in the Western Conference.
  • The Houston Rockets were moved from the Pacific Division to the Central Division, also placing them in the Eastern Conference.
  • The Phoenix Suns were moved from the Midwest Division to the Pacific Division.

In other good news for the squad, they improved by six games and saw starting guard Tiny Archibald receive his first All-Star Game invitation.

9-and-73ers?

During the off-season, Philadelphia 76ers superstar Billy Cunningham jumped ship to the ABA. This was already seen as a catastrophic loss for the team, who were coming off an underwhelming thirty-win run – to make matters worse, coach Jack Ramsay departed to coach the Buffalo Braves. This left the 76ers’ locker room in disrepair, hinting towards an inevitably messy year.

After starting the season 0-15, the pitiful club finally managed a narrow two-point win against the Houston Rockets in early November. They won a couple of contests on occasion, but were largely amidst pathetic losing streaks. They lost fourteen straight from December to early January, and then completed a separate spell of twenty consecutive defeats from January to February.

While the roster was already awful, coach Roy Rubin was also heavily criticized for his lack of aptitude, being deemed fraudulent. He lacked insight and failed to encourage players during practice, which instilled bad habits in them. Rubin was replaced with 76ers guard Kevin Loughery, who neglected his playing duties to coach instead. They managed a grand five wins in February under his lead, but finished the season with the worst winning percentage of all-time.

E For “Exit”

A shocking trade during the off-season sent Houston Rockets star Elvin Hayes to the Baltimore Bullets in exchange for Jack Marin. Statistically speaking, this swap was incredibly lop-sided. Hayes was an absolute two-way behemoth, anchoring elite defenses while ranking sixth all-time in points per game. Marin was a talented forward coming off of his first All-Star selection, but the gap in talent was clear.

This generated skepticism regarding Hayes’ place in Houston culture. It was known that he frequently argued with coach Tex Winter, which was perhaps a breaking point for the front office – they were not interested in tantrums from a superstar, and opted to build around somebody else. Funnily enough, Winter was fired by the team seven months later.

The Bullets ultimately benefitted from the newfound acquirement, improving by fourteen games and finishing with a top five defense. Hayes’ impact on the glass was also profound, as Baltimore improved to the fifth spot league-wide in rebounds per game.

Barry’s Back!

During the summer of 1972, ABA star Rick Barry was prohibited by law from playing for any team besides the Golden State Warriors once his current contract ended. This was a byproduct of the various disputes the forward had with the franchise when he initially left them in 1967.

Upon his return, Barry posted a noticeably different style in comparison to his two first seasons. He was far less geared towards scoring, now adopting an unfamiliar “point forward” role in which he would often orchestrate his team’s offense. He led Golden State in assists, and his average of 4.9 was the highest of his NBA career.

Despite the return of their former superstar, the Warriors seemed to decline slightly. It’s hard to deduce whether this is his wrongdoing – their overall defense took a slight dip, and star Cazzie Russell had a down year.

Almost There

On their fifth game of the season, the Boston Celtics faced the Buffalo Braves. They had a field day dominating their divisional rival, leading by a thick forty-three points by the fourth quarter.

Buffalo shocked the Massachusetts audience in the fourth, scoring a record-breaking fifty-eight points to attempt a comeback. This was well over twice the amount scored by Boston, who truly only won because of the enormous cushion they built prior. The Braves’ sophomore guard Randy Smith was the star of the show, with an efficient twenty-nine points anchoring the failed comeback.

Standout Players

Dave Cowens

In light of the Celtics having their best season in franchise history, Cowens became Boston’s first M.V.P. winner since Bill Russell. He showed up in every game, averaging career highs in points, rebounds, and assists on the way.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Despite Cowens’ marvelous run, Abdul-Jabbar was still the league’s best player. His scoring declined slightly, but he still finished top two in points average despite that. His career high mark of five assists is perhaps the most notable breakthrough, establishing him among the best playmaking bigs in the NBA.

Tiny Archibald

Archibald made history by becoming the first player to lead the league in both points and assists in the same season – Oscar Robertson had done so prior with averages, but the league identified leaders off of totals at the time. Tiny’s acrobatics catapulted the Kings to the top ranked league offense.

Wilt Chamberlain

At the age of thirty-six, Chamberlain remained a force. While he saw a career low in scoring – only supplying a little over ten points a game – his defensive impact was still near-untouchable. Once again, he played every night and averaged over forty minutes en route to another sixty-win Lakers campaign.

Pete Maravich

The Hawks returned to the win column thanks to Pistol Pete’s best year-long performance yet. He averaged career highs in all three major categories, also putting together four forty-point games.

John Havlicek

Hondo’s eleventh season was yet another great one. Cowens got a lot of media attention and favoritism for the M.V.P. award – and rightfully so – but Havlicek was arguably just as vital to the Celtics’ success. He was the team’s offensive engine, leading them in both points and assists.

Around the League

Team Standings

Notes
An asterisk (*) indicates that the team qualified for the playoffs.

Eastern Conference
Atlantic DivisionWLCentral DivisionWL
Boston Celtics*6814Baltimore Bullets*5230
New York Knicks*5725Atlanta Hawks*4636
Buffalo Braves2161Houston Rockets3349
Philadelphia 76ers973Cleveland Cavaliers3250
Western Conference
Midwest DivisionWLPacific DivisionWL
Milwaukee Bucks*6022Los Angeles Lakers*6022
Chicago Bulls*5131Golden State Warriors*4735
Detroit Pistons4042Phoenix Suns3844
Kansas City-Omaha Kings3646Seattle SuperSonics2656
Portland Trail Blazers2161

Fun Facts

  • Yet another headline-worthy campaign was completed by the Boston Celtics, who won a colossal sixty-eight games.
    • This winning percentage was good for the third-best in NBA history, and the highest of the franchise to date.
    • The gritty identity they claimed in their last couple seasons finally reached its maximum potential, with them ranking first in defense league-wide.
  • The Philadelphia 76ers finished with the lowest win total and worst winning percentage professional basketball had seen to date.
  • For the first time since its conception, the new divisional system seemed balanced – all eight teams in the win column made the playoffs, and all nine with a losing record missed it.
  • While the Kansas City-Omaha Kings managed to boast the number-one-ranked offense, they settled with a pathetic seventeenth-place finish on the other end of the ball – good for last in the league.
  • The Milwaukee Bucks ended the year in the top five for both offense and defense – this was their third consecutive year of doing such.

Notable Movement

Key

The player stats listed are based on their last tenure, whether it be with their former team or the previous season.
Name(s) under the “Top Draft Picks” section with a plus (+) opted to play in another league instead of the NBA this season.
p – points
r – rebounds
a – assists

Top Draft Picks

#TeamPlayer
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10		Portland Trail Blazers
Buffalo Braves
Cleveland Cavaliers
Phoenix Suns
Philadelphia 76ers
Milwaukee Bucks
Seattle SuperSonics
New York Knicks
Detroit Pistons
Boston Celtics		LaRue Martin
Bob McAdoo
Dwight Davis
Corky Calhoun
Freddie Boyd
Russ Lee
Bud Stallworth
Tom Riker
Bob Nash
Paul Westphal

Players

DatePlayerTeamActionDestinationStats
June 23, 1972Elvin HayesHouston RocketsTradedBaltimore Bullets(25.2p/14.6r/3.3a)
June 23, 1972Jack MarinBaltimore BulletsTradedHouston Rockets(22.3p/6.8r/2.2a)
July 1, 1972Rick BarryNew York Americans (ABA)SignedGolden State Warriors(31.5p/7.5r/4.1a)
August 1, 1972Jimmy WalkerDetroit PistonsTradedHouston Rockets(21.3/4r/3a)
August 2, 1972John BriskerPittsburgh Condors (ABA)SignedSeattle SuperSonics(28.9p/9.1r/4.1a)
August 23, 1972Butch BeardCleveland CavaliersTradedSeattle SuperSonics(15.4p/4.1r/6.7a)
August 23, 1972Lenny WilkensSeattle SuperSonicsTradedCleveland Cavaliers(18p/4.2r/9.6a)
January 26, 1973Tom Van ArsdaleKansas City-Ohama KingsTradedPhiladelphia 76ers(12.4p/3.5r/1.8a)
January 26, 1973John BlockPhiladelphia 76ersTradedKansas City-Ohama Kings(17.9p/9.2r/2a)

Other Personnel

DatePersonTeamActionStats
June 15, 1972Coach Roy RubinPhiladelphia 76ersHiredRecord: n/a
January 10, 1973Coach Tom NissalkeSeattle SuperSonicsFiredRecord: 13-32
January 10, 1973Coach Bucky BuckwalterSeattle SuperSonicsAppointed (Interim)Record: 13-24
January 21, 1973Coach Tex WinterHouston RocketsFiredRecord: 17-30
January 21, 1973Coach Johnny EganHouston RocketsHiredRecord: 16-19
January 23, 1973Coach Roy RubinPhiladelphia 76ersFiredRecord: 4-47
January 23, 1973Coach Kevin LougheryPhiladelphia 76ersAppointed (Interim)Record: 5-26
March 30, 1973Coach John MacLeodPhoenix SunsHiredRecord: n/a

Retirements

PlayerTeam(s)Notable Accomplishments
Elgin BaylorLos Angeles Lakers10x All-NBA
11x All-Star
1x All-Star Game MVP
1959 Rookie of the Year
Billy Cunningham
(jumped to ABA)		Philadelphia 76ers1x Champion
4x All-NBA
4x All-Star
1966 All-Rookie Team

League Leaders

If a stat is not listed, it was not recorded at the time. As time goes on, this section will begin to include steals per game, blocks per game, etc.

Key

PPG – points per game
RPG – rebounds per game
APG – assists per game
FG% – field goal percentage (percentage of shots that hit)
FT% – free throw percentage (percentage of foul shots that hit)

StatLeaders
PPGTiny Archibald (34)
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (30.2)
Spencer Haywood (29.2)
Lou Hudson (27.1)
Pete Maravich (26.1)
RPGWilt Chamberlain (18.6)
Nate Thurmond (17.1)
Dave Cowens (16.2)
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (16.1)
Wes Unseld (15.9)
APGTiny Archibald (11.4)
Lenny Wilkens (8.4)
Dave Bing (7.8)
Oscar Robertson (7.5)
Norm Van Lier (7.1)
FG%Wilt Chamberlain (72%)
Matt Guokas (57%)
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (55%)
Curtis Rowe (51%)
Jim Fox (51%)
FT%Rick Barry (90%)
Calvin Murphy (88%)
Mike Newlin (88%)
Jimmy Walker (88%)
Bill Bradley (87%)

Playoffs

Semifinals

East / Boston Celtics beat Atlanta Hawks, 4-2
Boston and Atlanta were slated for their second straight first round matchup. The Hawks went home in six last time, and entered the Boston Garden seeking a different outcome.

John Havlicek immediately made a statement, powering the Celtics with fifty-four points in Game 1 – the fourth-highest single scoring game in playoffs history. Both this and the succeeding Game 2 were blowout wins for the home team, who had hopes to extend their lead back down south.

The Hawks protected their turf, winning two hard-fought matches under Lou Hudson and Pete Maravich’s lead. Matters were now up to the final three games, which Boston dominated – two shooting clinics from Jo Jo White sealed the deal, while M.V.P. Dave Cowens owned the glass.

New year, same old outcome.
East / New York Knicks beat Baltimore Bullets, 4-1
At this point, the Knicks-Bullets duel was disturbingly guaranteed – this was their FIFTH straight head-to-head in the post-season. Historically speaking, New York had the upper edge, with three of the last four rounds won.

While the Bullets’ roster seemed better than in previous years – largely thanks to having two of the game’s best big men – they immediately fell into a 3-0 deficit. They had no reliable perimeter defense, struggling to contain the Knicks’ new backcourt of Walt Frazier and former Bullet Earl Monroe. They finally managed a Game 4 win at home, holding their foes to only eighty-nine points – Elvin Hayes also put together his second-straight thirty-point outing.

However, a statement closing from the Knicks was inevitable – three of their starters exceeded twenty points to ensure their fifth consecutive Conference Finals appearance.
West / Golden State Warriors beat Milwaukee Bucks, 4-2
The Bucks and Warriors now met for the third year in a row, establishing yet another tense inter-conference rivalry. Golden State had never beaten Milwaukee, but were looking to change tides with the re-acquisition of Rick Barry.

Surprisingly, the two clubs split victories in Milwaukee Arena. Game 1 was a landslide win from the home team, but stiff defense left the series tied. What makes Golden State’s feat even more impressive was that Rick Barry went out two minutes into the first quarter – Cazzie Russell responded with a twenty-five point heater off the bench.

Milwaukee won in yet another blowout behind thirty-four points from Oscar Robertson, but an overwhelming takeover game from Rick Barry resulted in yet another series tie. Golden State shockingly took a road win afterwards – Nate Thurmond was instrumental in their success, limiting Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to nineteen points on terrible efficiency. The two-time M.V.P. also shot three-for-ten at the foul line, a blunder that cost them the game.

With momentum on their side, the Warriors handled business at home with a blowout victory. This was their first time beating the Bucks in a playoff series, and the franchise’s first Conference Finals trip since 1968.
West / Los Angeles Lakers beat Chicago Bulls, 4-3
As per usual, repeated first round matchups were this post-season’s narrative. The Lakers and Bulls were scheduled for their third straight first-round series, of which Chicago had never emerged triumphant.

The pedigree of the defending champions was on full display during their 2-0 series lead, of which Gail Goodrich was the clear leader. Surprisingly, Chicago responded head-on with two wins of their own, citing big games from Chet Walker and Bob Love for their resilience.

After a dominant Lakers Game 5 victory – in which Chamberlain had a 21/29/4 stat-line – it seemed easy for the Californian club to advance. However, Chicago simply refused to let down their fans – yet another home victory followed the Bulls, who were determined to upset their rivals. They nearly achieved such in the tiebreaker, which they only lost by three – Wilt Chamberlain was an unstoppable force, totaling over twenty points and rebounds again.

The Bulls had fallen short once more, still unable to advance past the first round. Fans at least had Norm Van Lier to be excited for, though – the 6’1″ guard was truly sensational, with twenty-eight points and fourteen (!) rebounds in the deflating loss.

Conference Finals

East / New York Knicks beat Boston Celtics, 4-3
The Eastern Conference playoffs were a direct mirror of last year thus far, with yet another Atlantic Division clash. New York got the best of Boston last time, but the sixty-eight-win Celtics looked like a different beast. This was especially true after winning by twenty-six points in the opener, with Jo Jo White and John Havlicek compiling masterclasses.

Simply put, that sort of defeat enraged the Knicks. They proceeded to win the next three matches in convincing fashion, including a fierce double overtime in Game 4. A lot of New York’s victories were balanced efforts, but Walt Frazier’s thirty-seven points defined that night.

On the brink of elimination, the Celtics managed to take Game 5 by a single point. The M.V.P. solidified his selection in a must-win moment, with thirty-two points and sixteen rebounds. Boston proceeded to force Game 7 two nights later, putting their foes under immense pressure to deliver.

A hard-fought, defensively-inclined final contest was controlled by the Knicks, who had five double-digit scorers. Frazier continued to assert himself, being only three assists short of a triple-double. The defending Eastern Conference Champions had now upset one of the best regular season teams ever, avoiding the scrutiny tied to blowing a 3-1 lead.
West / Los Angeles Lakers beat Golden State Warriors, 4-1
Any sense of reason would lead everybody to overwhelmingly favor Los Angeles in this Western Conference Finals. Still, it would be unwise to doubt a hungry Golden State team that just eliminated a perennial powerhouse in Milwaukee.

The depth of the Lakers was truly baffling. In their three consecutive wins to open the series, somebody different dominated each game. First it was Jim McMillian, then Jerry West – scoring was more balanced in Game 3, but McMillian continued to assert himself.

The Warriors refused to go out sad, at least avoiding the sweep in the fourth meet. Rick Barry continued to have a very disappointing series, but Cazzie Russell delivered a thirty-three-point bomb off the bench that secured a somewhat narrow win.

Did it truly matter, though? Gail Goodrich thought not. The star delivered forty-four points and eight assists to dismantle his inter-state rivals, earning the Lakers their fourth Finals appearance in the last five seasons.

Finals

New York Knicks beat Los Angeles Lakers, 4-1
Twice had this matchup defined the final stage, and now was the third instance of it occurring. New York and Los Angeles had both won a championship in these cases, and now would be the true decisive tiebreaker.

The Lakers won the first match behind a big Gail Goodrich scoring performance, with the Knicks narrowly taking Game 2 to head home tied. The two matches in New York were both Knicks wins by slight amounts – Willis Reed delivered some quality efforts, and Dave DeBusschere showed up big in Game 4. This 3-1 lead was their biggest during any of the three Finals versus Los Angeles.

Halfway through the fifth meet, the game was relatively even – however, a massive third quarter from New York practically guaranteed a championship. The defense on Jerry West had been good all series, and it especially stood out here – his efficiency was awful, and a vintage Wilt Chamberlain performance could not save him.

In a reverse of last year, the Los Angeles Lakers were gentleman’s swept at the highest level. New York became the first team to win multiple championships in the 70’s, and looked prepared to be the next great dynasty.
The New York Knicks win the 1973 NBA championship!
Willis Reed was named the Finals Most Valuable Player.

Awards

Notes
Name(s) under the “All-Stars” section with an asterisk (*) were listed as the MVP of the All-Star Game that year. Those with “(IR)” next to their name were chosen to replace an injured star.

Major Awards

Rookie of the YearMVPFinals MVPCoach of the Year
Bob McAdooDave CowensWillis ReedTom Heinsohn

All-NBA

All-NBA First TeamAll-NBA Second Team
Tiny Archibald
Jerry West
John Havlicek
Spencer Haywood
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar		Walt Frazier
Pete Maravich
Rick Barry
Elvin Hayes
Dave Cowens

All-Defensive

All-Defensive First TeamAll-Defensive Second Team
Walt Frazier
Jerry West
John Havlicek
Dave DeBusschere
Wilt Chamberlain		Norm Van Lier
Don Chaney
Mike Riordan
Paul Silas
Nate Thurmond

All-Stars

Eastern All-StarsWestern All-Stars
John Block
Bill Bradley
Dave Cowens*
Dave DeBusschere
Walt Frazier
John Havlicek
Lou Hudson
Bob Kauffman
Pete Maravich
Jack Marin
Wes Unseld
Jo Jo White
Lenny Wilkens		Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Tiny Archibald
Rick Barry
Dave Bing
Wilt Chamberlain
Bob Dandridge
Gail Goodrich
Connie Hawkins (IR)
Spencer Haywood
Bob Lanier
Bob Love (IR)
Charlie Scott
Nate Thurmond
Chet Walker
Jerry West
Sidney Wicks
East beats West, 104-84

All-Rookie

All-Rookie Team
Freddie Boyd
Dwight Davis
Bob McAdoo
Lloyd Neal
Jim Price

All-Time Championship Leaderboard

Notes
The Baltimore Bullets (1947-1954) won the championship in 1948, but are defunct. As a result, they are not listed.

TeamCountYears
Celtics111957, 1959
1960, 1961
1962, 1963
1964, 1965
1966, 1967
1969
Lakers61949, 1950
1952, 1953
1954, 1972
Warriors21947, 1956
76ers21955, 1967
Knicks21970, 1973
Kings11951
Hawks11958
Bucks11971

The NBA Time Machine: 1972

Posted on by in Sports, The NBA Time Machine

Published May 6, 2023

The NBA Time Machine:
1972

West Coast Wonder

Changes

Shortly after leading the Milwaukee Bucks to their first title, reigning M.V.P. Lew Alcindor announced his intentions to undergo a name change. Moving forward, he claimed the Muslim name Kareem Abdul-Jabbar – this about translated to “noble one, servant of the Almighty”. Abdul-Jabbar was the first player to publicly embrace Islamic beliefs in the NBA landscape.

No Loss In Los Angeles

After an underwhelming ’71 campaign, the Los Angeles Lakers needed to react promptly. Their two superstars were nearing their mid-thirties in age, and the rest of the core wasn’t exactly young either. The front office started by firing Joe Mullaney, who amassed a 94-70 record and Finals appearance with the team.

Los Angeles directed their interest towards former player-turned-coach Bill Sharman, who was active in the ABA. Sharman had seen three Finals appearances in his coaching career – one with the San Francisco Warriors in 1967, and two with the rival league’s Utah Stars in the past two years. The latter of those resulted in a championship, his first as a coach.

The Lakers offered a contract to Sharman that was eventually accepted, much to the dismay of the Stars. The franchise’s owner brought suit against him, and he nearly had to pay over two-hundred-thousand dollars due to contract breaching – however, Sharman escaped the legal warfare unscathed.

His coaching techniques immediately bolstered L.A.’s culture – his “shootaround” sessions, designed to get players warmed up and calm, rendered the team as the most disciplined in the NBA. Under Sharman’s lead, the Lakers won sixty-nine total games, experienced a thirty-three game winning streak, and finished as the best offense league-wide.

The only sour spot of this historic season was the retirement of Elgin Baylor – the multiple-time All-Star felt as if he was not physically capable of helping the team any longer. Such a decision was unfortunately the right one, as a dominant stretch of victories begun immediately after his leave.

Oaktown, H-Town

Much to the surprise of basketball fans, the San Diego Rockets announced a move to Houston after being sold. There was a strong sense of doubt regarding the decision – given the Texas hotspot had no former reputation as a basketball-oriented city – but the decision to settle was still pursued, despite them having to jump between multiple arenas for home games.

They also hired a new coach in Tex Winter, who notoriously clashed with star Elvin Hayes. Winter’s offensive philosophy was undesirable to the center, and there was a noticeable decline in the team’s performance.

In other news, the San Francisco Warriors permanently moved to Oakland and changed their moniker to the Golden State Warriors. A handful of matches were hosted in San Diego, but they did not again play in their origin of San Francisco.

Get Well Soon, Cap…

Ongoing tendonitis issues in his knee limited Willis Reed’s play this year. He was sidelined for two weeks, and shortly attempted a comeback that ended in failure. He only managed to appear in eleven games total, all at the start of the season – this also rendered him unavailable for the playoffs.

Branding Transformation

Starting this year, the NBA adopted a new red-and-blue logo. It incorporated a silhouette of Jerry West. It was largely influenced by the MLB’s logo.

Standout Players

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Fresh off a Finals M.V.P., Abdul-Jabbar looked to continue dominating. Career highs in all three major statistical categories – plus anchoring the top-ranked defense – made this his best season to date.

Jerry West

West was the first option on the greatest team the league had seen, leading all players in assists and influencing sixty-nine wins. A big part of this was availability – his seventy-seven games played was the most in his career since the ’66 season.

Wilt Chamberlain

Wilt’s dedication to protecting the rim had never been stronger. He won his tenth career rebounding title while shooting a ridiculous sixty-four-percent from the field. Los Angeles benefited greatly from his presence – their top-two ranked defense would not have been possible without his physical sacrifices.

John Havlicek

The Celtics finished with over fifty wins for the first time since Bill Russell and Sam Jones’ retirement. Why? The answer to that would be John Havlicek. He asserted himself as the best forward in the NBA, finishing top five in both scoring and assists.

Archie Clark

Clark had been nothing more than a one-time All-Star and solid starting player up to this point, but this was a shocking breakout year. Following a trade to Baltimore early into the season, the point guard finished top four in assists and led the Bullets in scoring.

Nate Thurmond

While Thurmond had more dominant statistical seasons in the past, this was by far his greatest effort to date. Under his lead, Golden State finished top four in defense and managed the first fifty-win season in the franchise’s history.

Tiny Archibald

The Royals sophomore took an enormous leap, joining Bob Cousy, Oscar Robertson, and Jerry West as the only players to finish top three in scoring and assists in the same season. Archibald helped Cincinnati finish in the top half of league offenses despite his dull supporting cast.

Around the League

Team Standings

Notes
An asterisk (*) indicates that the team qualified for the playoffs.

Eastern Conference
Atlantic DivisionWLCentral DivisionWL
Boston Celtics*5626Baltimore Bullets*3844
New York Knicks*4834Atlanta Hawks*3646
Philadelphia 76ers3052Cincinnati Royals3052
Buffalo Braves2260Cleveland Cavaliers2359
Western Conference
Midwest DivisionWLPacific DivisionWL
Milwaukee Bucks*6319Los Angeles Lakers*6913
Chicago Bulls*5725Golden State Warriors*5131
Phoenix Suns4933Seattle SuperSonics4735
Detroit Pistons2656Houston Rockets3448
Portland Trail Blazers1864

Fun Facts

  • The Los Angeles Lakers set a new record for the most wins, at sixty-nine – and best winning percentage, at .841 – in NBA history.
  • The Los Angeles Lakers’ streak of thirty-three consecutive games won became the longest in American sports history.
    • In a bittersweet coincidence, the beginning of this stretch coincided with the retirement of Elgin Baylor.
    • The streak ended to the Milwaukee Bucks on January 9th.
  • For the first time in the franchise’s history, the Philadelphia 76ers missed the playoffs.
  • For the first time since 1957, an entire division – in this case, the Central Division – finished with a losing record.
  • This was the Baltimore Bullets’ first losing season since the beginning of the Wes Unseld era.
  • This season marked the first winning campaign for the Seattle SuperSonics franchise.
    • Despite this, they still missed the playoffs due to the new eligibility format.
  • For the first time since 1967, two teams finished with sixty wins.
    • In the last instance, the Philadelphia 76ers and Boston Celtics shared such an achievement.

Notable Movement

Key

The player stats listed are based on their last tenure, whether it be with their former team or the previous season.
Name(s) under the “Top Draft Picks” section with a plus (+) opted to play in another league instead of the NBA this season.
p – points
r – rebounds
a – assists

Top Draft Picks

#TeamPlayer
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10		Cleveland Cavaliers
Portland Trail Blazers
Buffalo Braves
Cincinnati Royals
Atlanta Hawks
Seattle SuperSonics
Houston Rockets
Golden State Warriors
Baltimore Bullets
Boston Celtics		Austin Carr
Sidney Wicks
Elmore Smith
Ken Durrett
George Trapp
Fred Brown
Cliff Meely
Darnell Hillman+
Stan Love
Clarence Glover

Players

DatePlayerTeamActionDestinationStats
May 7, 1971Jerry LucasSan Francisco WarriorsTradedNew York Knicks(19.2p/15.8r/3.7a)
October 18, 1971Archie ClarkPhiladelphia 76ersTradedBaltimore Bullets(21.3p/4.8r/5.4a)
November 5, 1971Elgin BaylorLos Angeles LakersRetired(11.8p/6.3r/2.0a)
November 10, 1971Earl MonroeBaltimore BulletsTradedNew York Knicks(21.7p/2.7r/3.3a)
March 14, 1972Charlie ScottVirginia Squires (ABA)SignedBoston Celtics(34.6p/5.1r/4.8a)
March 14, 1972Charlie ScottBoston CelticsTradedPhoenix Suns
March 14, 1972Paul SilasPhoenix SunsTradedBoston Celtics(17.5p/11.9r/4.3a)

Other Personnel

DatePersonTeamActionStats
May 14, 1971Coach Tex WinterHouston RocketsHiredRecord: n/a
June 3, 1971Coach Joe MullaneyLos Angeles LakersFiredRecord: 48-34
July 12, 1971Coach Bill SharmanLos Angeles LakersHiredRecord: n/a
October 13, 1971Coach Dolph SchayesBuffalo BravesFiredRecord: 0-1
October 13, 1971Coach Johnny McCarthyBuffalo BravesHiredRecord: n/a
November 1, 1971Coach Butch Van Breda KolffDetroit PistonsResignedRecord: 6-4
November 1, 1971Coach Terry DischingerDetroit PistonsAppointed (Interim)Record: 0-2
November 3, 1971Coach Earl LloydDetroit PistonsHiredRecord: 20-50
February 2, 1972Coach Rolland ToddPortland Trail BlazersFiredRecord: 12-44
February 3, 1972Coach Stu InmanPortland Trail BlazersAppointed (Interim)Record: 6-20
March 26, 1972Coach Jack RamsayPhiladelphia 76ersResignedRecord: 30-52
March 27, 1972Coach Johnny McCarthyBuffalo BravesFiredRecord: 22-59
April 2, 1972P.coach Lenny WilkensSeattle SuperSonicsResignedRecord: 47-35
April 3, 1972Coach Jack McCloskeyPortland Trail BlazersHiredRecord: n/a
April 6, 1972Coach Jack RamsayBuffalo BravesHiredRecord: n/a
April 20, 1972Coach Tom NissalkeSeattle SuperSonicsHiredRecord: n/a
April 24, 1972Coach Richie GuerinAtlanta HawksReassignedRecord: 36-46

Retirements

PlayerTeam(s)Notable Accomplishments
Bailey HowellDetroit Pistons
Baltimore Bullets
Boston Celtics
Philadelphia 76ers		2x Champion
1x All-NBA
6x All-Star
Adrian Smith
(jumped to ABA)		Cincinnati Royals
San Francisco Warriors		1x All-Star
1x All-Star Game MVP

League Leaders

If a stat is not listed, it was not recorded at the time. As time goes on, this section will begin to include steals per game, blocks per game, etc.

Key

PPG – points per game
RPG – rebounds per game
APG – assists per game
FG% – field goal percentage (percentage of shots that hit)
FT% – free throw percentage (percentage of foul shots that hit)

StatLeaders
PPGKareem Abdul-Jabbar (34.8)
Tiny Archibald (28.2)
John Havlicek (27.5)
Spencer Haywood (26.2)
Gail Goodrich (25.9)
RPGWilt Chamberlain (19.2)
Wes Unseld (17.6)
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (16.6)
Nate Thurmond (16.1)
Dave Cowens (15.2)
APGJerry West (9.7)
Lenny Wilkens (9.6)
Tiny Archibald (9.2)
Archie Clark (8.0)
John Havlicek (7.5)
FG%Wilt Chamberlain (64%)
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (57%)
Walt Bellamy (54%)
Dick Snyder (52%)
Jerry Lucas (51%)
FT%Jack Marin (89%)
Calvin Murphy (89%)
Gail Goodrich (85%)
Chet Walker (84%)
Dick Van Arsdale (84%)

Playoffs

Semifinals

East / Boston Celtics beat Atlanta Hawks, 4-2
For the first time since moving to Atlanta, the Hawks had to play their historic rival Boston Celtics. After an expected Celtics win in Game 1, a duel between star forwards ensued. Boston’s John Havlicek finished with forty-three points, and Atlanta’s Lou Hudson got forty-one of his own. The Hawks managed a solid road win, only to get blown out on their turf a couple nights later – despite the loss, Pete Maravich posted a glamorous 37/9/6 statline.

After winning by a mere two points in Game 4 – thanks to another Maravich effort – the Hawks ventured back up north. They ended up losing to the Celtics in back-to-back matches, with Boston’s Dave Cowens closing out with twenty-six points and twenty rebounds.
East / New York Knicks beat Baltimore Bullets, 4-2
For the fourth year in a row, New York and Baltimore met in the post-season. The Knicks were still without Willis Reed, so the outcome was relatively unpredictable.

The Bullets opened up with a surprising overtime victory, riding off Archie Clark’s thirty-eight points. Regression to the mean did occur, though, as the Knicks won by twenty-two in the next match behind a near-triple-double from Walt Frazier. Clark once again took over in Game 3 as the Bullets won by a single point, taking an unexpected 2-1 lead.

Their efforts ended up being pointless as New York responded with three consecutive wins, largely dependent on Frazier and Jerry Lucas’ abilities. Clark was bad in Games 4 and 5, and his thirty-one point bounce back in the decisive sixth was not enough to stave off elimination.
West / Los Angeles Lakers beat Chicago Bulls, 4-0
After a fierce series between these two teams that went to seven games, they were slated for another head-to-head. The difference this time around was a healthy Jerry West – after averaging thirty points and ten assists in the two Lakers home games, it was safe to say his impact was immediate. Goodrich was a human flamethrower, and Chicago couldn’t be efficient for their lives – even proven playoff performer Bob Love had a horrible outing.

Wilt Chamberlain was two points and assists short of a triple-double in Game 4, which was the final nail in the coffin for the Bulls. They suffered a sweep at the hands of the historic Lakers squad, still yet to win a playoff series.
West / Milwaukee Bucks beat Golden State Warriors, 4-1
Last time these teams met, Milwaukee completed a comfortable gentleman’s sweep. It was predicted that the fight would be tougher now that the Warriors had leveled up a bit – they were a fifty-win team whose star was arguably having his most impactful season to date.

Shock infested Bucks fans when Golden State managed to win Game 1 in Milwaukee Arena, with four of their players scoring twenty or more points. Nate Thurmond also grabbed twenty boards and dished nine assists.

Milwaukee tightened up with a statement blowout win afterwards, with only Thurmond managing a good performance. This would become the theme of the series – Thurmond’s sheer authority on both ends of the ball was wasted by pathetic play from his supporting cast, and they could not take advantage of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s awful efficiency. Respect to Jim Barnett for his ferocity, though – he played very well in Games 4 and 5.

Ultimately, the Bucks handled business with three straight cushioned victories.

Conference Finals

East / New York Knicks beat Boston Celtics, 4-1
For the first time this decade, the Knicks didn’t seem like clear favorites in the East. They finished with a worse regular season record than the Celtics and lacked one of their stars.

This matchup was proof that veteran experience goes a long way, though. New York won by a disrespectful twenty-two-point margin in Game 1, humiliating fans of the green team. They had six double-digit scorers in this game, while the Celtics’ only members of that club were John Havlicek and Jo Jo White – both of whom were very inefficient.

Despite fifty-two combined points from Havlicek and White the next match, the Knicks won by a narrow one-point margin. Taking both of the first two games was huge for them, and left the Celtics largely demoralized moving forward. Regardless, they fought through adversity – Game 3 at home was theirs. In response, New York provided a beating to keep Boston’s optimism at a low.

In Game 5, three Knicks finished with double digit rebounds as they completed a gentleman’s sweep. This sent them to their second Finals appearance in three years, slated to face one of the last two Western Conference champions.
West / Los Angeles Lakers beat Milwaukee Bucks, 4-2
In a rematch of last year’s Conference Finals, the brewing rivalry between Los Angeles and Milwaukee continued. The Lakers looked like the greater team this year, but the Bucks were defending a title – all that could be expected from this series was determination from both clubs.

The classic matchup between Wilt Chamberlain and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar favored the latter in the first game, as the back-to-back M.V.P. dropped thirty-three points and secured eighteen rebounds in a Bucks blowout win on the road. After the Lakers’ Happy Hairston secured a series tie with his game-winning bucket, matters were headed to Milwaukee. And considering the Bucks managed a dominant victory – and proceeded to lose by only one point – it wasn’t absurd to say momentum was in their favor.

A quality scoring effort from L.A.’s starting lineup brought them up 2-1 a couple nights later, only to lose by twenty-six points shortly after. Every single Bucks win was in crude fashion, and Los Angeles would have to raise their intensity if they wanted to dethrone their opponent.

Thanks to sixty-nine combined points from Jerry West, Gail Goodrich, and Jim McMillian in Game 5, the Lakers completed their first blowout win of the series at home. Fatigue seemed to plague Milwaukee as the series progressed – Oscar Robertson only logged nine points in twenty-nine minutes, and Abdul-Jabbar was taking an ill-advised number of shots in every game.

With a chance to tie the series at home, the Bucks collapsed in the fourth quarter and accepted defeat at the hands of their foe. They could not sustain quality play, being littered with injuries – Robertson and Wali Jones both had pulled muscles, and Jon McGlocklin was dealing with a nagging back injury. Couple that with a rare dominant offensive performance from Chamberlain – as well as necessary support from the Lakers’ other starters – and yet another Finals trip for the Californian team was in the books.

Finals

Los Angeles Lakers beat New York Knicks, 4-1
In the sixties, the narrative was Lakers vs. Celtics. Now, Lakers vs. Knicks seemed to be the uprising cross-country clash – this was their second Finals meeting in the last three years. Los Angeles looked to avenge their disappointing loss in 1970, where they went out in embarrassing fashion to a rallying New York squad.

New York surprisingly managed to win the first game against the odds, similar to their series with Boston. Walt Frazier’s triple-double harmonized with Bill Bradley’s effective twenty-nine points, while just about everybody on the Lakers was terrible.

The sixty-nine-win team shut out the noise shortly after, thanks to great performances from Wilt Chamberlain and Gail Goodrich. The former began to take advantage of New York’s shallow rim protection as the series continued, and his increased aggression made up for how poorly Jerry West was playing.

Game 4 was an overtime battle – while West got to the line at every opportunity, Jerry Lucas and Walt Frazier could not be contained. The Knicks still lost regardless, now down 3-1 on their way back to the west coast.

The Lakers were now closer than ever to their first championship in nearly twenty years, and seized the opportunity without a thought. Four of the five starters scored over twenty points, and Chamberlain got twenty-nine rebounds.

They convincingly pulled away in the second half, completing the gentleman’s sweep – this was the Lakers’ long-awaited first title since moving to Los Angeles, and first since the great dynasties of Minneapolis. The Jerry West era had finally produced a ring.
The Los Angeles Lakers win the 1972 NBA championship!
Wilt Chamberlain was named the Finals Most Valuable Player.

Awards

Notes
Name(s) under the “All-Stars” section with an asterisk (*) were listed as the MVP of the All-Star Game that year. Those with “(IR)” next to their name were chosen to replace an injured star.

Major Awards

Rookie of the YearMVPFinals MVPCoach of the Year
Sidney WicksKareem Abdul-JabbarWilt ChamberlainBill Sharman

All-NBA

All-NBA First TeamAll-NBA Second Team
Walt Frazier
Jerry West
John Havlicek
Spencer Haywood
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar		Tiny Archibald
Archie Clark
Billy Cunningham
Bob Love
Wilt Chamberlain

All-Defensive

All-Defensive First TeamAll-Defensive Second Team
Walt Frazier
Jerry West
Jerry Sloan
John Havlicek
Dave DeBusschere
Wilt Chamberlain		Norm Van Lier
Don Chaney
Paul Silas
Bob Love
Nate Thurmond

All-Stars

Eastern All-StarsWestern All-Stars
Butch Beard
Archie Clark
Dave Cowens
Billy Cunningham
Dave DeBusschere
Walt Frazier
John Havlicek
Lou Hudson
John Johnson
Bob Kauffman
Jack Marin
Wes Unseld
Tom Van Arsdale
Jo Jo White		Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Wilt Chamberlain
Gail Goodrich
Connie Hawkins
Elvin Hayes
Spencer Haywood
Bob Lanier
Bob Love
Oscar Robertson
Cazzie Russell
Paul Silas
Jimmy Walker
Jerry West*
Sidney Wicks
West beats East, 112-110

All-Rookie

All-Rookie Team
Austin Carr
Phil Chenier
Clifford Ray
Elmore Smith
Sidney Wicks

All-Time Championship Leaderboard

Notes
The Baltimore Bullets (1947-1954) won the championship in 1948, but are defunct. As a result, they are not listed.

TeamCountYears
Celtics111957, 1959
1960, 1961
1962, 1963
1964, 1965
1966, 1967
1969
Lakers61949, 1950
1952, 1953
1954, 1972
Warriors21947, 1956
76ers21955, 1967
Royals11951
Hawks11958
Knicks11970
Bucks11971

The NBA Time Machine: 1970

Posted on by in Sports, The NBA Time Machine

Published April 1, 2023

The NBA Time Machine:
1970

Six To Seven

The New Lew

Excitement defined the 1969 NBA draft with the incoming arrival of young basketball phenomenon Lew Alcindor. A skilled center that tore through leagues at the high school and college level, he was the most sought-after prospect since Wilt Chamberlain. From 1967-69, he won three consecutive NCAA championships with the UCLA Bruins and was undeniably considered the best talent in college basketball. The dunk was even banned at that level because of his dominance.

Once he completed his education, Alcindor was unsurprisingly bombarded with offers from teams everywhere. The most notable bidders were the Harlem Globetrotters, the ABA’s New York Nets, and whoever won the first pick in the NBA draft. That eventually became the Milwaukee Bucks, who won a coin toss with the Phoenix Suns for the opportunity.

Among the three, Milwaukee’s financial commitment appealed to Alcindor the most. It was four-hundred-thousand more dollars than what the Globetrotters offered, and towered above the Nets’ proposal as well. New York eventually tried to land Alcindor by guaranteeing over three million dollars, but he declined – the abrupt increase in money had an underlying tone of degradation, with Alcindor feeling like an object in a bidding war.

The Bucks improved substantially with their new rookie, improving by twenty-nine games and finishing second in the Eastern Division. Alcindor finished third in M.V.P. voting and assured a playoff berth in the franchise’s second season of existence.

Goodnight, Beantown

The changing of decades also signified a new era in NBA history – over the off-season, Boston Celtics greats Bill Russell and Sam Jones both retired. Russell immediately stepped down as coach of the Celtics as well.

The two biggest backbones of the dynasty that ruled basketball for thirteen years were now both missing, making the chase for a title an open race. This had enormous implications for Eastern Division teams, as well as the Los Angeles Lakers, who had a disturbing 0-7 record against Boston in the Finals.

Down Goes the Dipper

After what was arguably the worst post-season of his career, Wilt Chamberlain had to make changes going into the next year. Brand new coach Joe Mullaney wanted him to be the focal point of L.A.’s offense, similarly to how he was utilized during his years with the Warriors. Chamberlain complied, averaging 32.2 points per game in his first nine games of the season on fifty-seven-percent shooting.

However, the four-time-M.V.P. sustained a tendon injury in the ninth match of the year that had career-ending potential. He was sidelined indefinitely, but surprisingly made a return for the last few games of the season. The rustiness was apparent, although the fact he bounced back from such a travesty was already impressive as is – there was a clear want to show commitment to Los Angeles.

In the meantime, the Lakers persevered – forty-six wins still orbited the team, something to thank Jerry West for. Forwards Elgin Baylor and Happy Hairston did their fair of heavy lifting, but also missed a good chunk of games. L.A.’s success despite so many injuries was remarkable.

Coaching Chaos

Personnel matters were a mess this season, with eight of the fourteen NBA teams seeing some kind of coaching change. There was also a rise in player-coaches, with Bob Cousy (who came out of retirement), Lenny Wilkens, and Al Attles all suiting up at some point in the year.

pER gAME!

Starting with this season, the league began to base statistical titles on “per game” production, as opposed to totals over the season.

To briefly break the fourth wall – this blog has always based its information on “per game” statistics, for the sake of continuity with later years.

Standout Players

Willis Reed

Reed continued his superstar play with a slightly increased career high in scoring, locking up sixty wins for the first time in New York City. All eyes were on the center as he grabbed every accolade imaginable – the M.V.P., All-Star Game M.V.P., All-NBA First Team, and All-Defensive First Team.

Lew Alcindor

Alcindor achieved arguably the greatest rookie season of all-time. He may have not grabbed an M.V.P. out of the gate like Wilt Chamberlain or Wes Unseld, but he took a young expansion franchise to fifty-six wins. It was not absurd to consider him the best talent in the NBA, despite his relative inexperience.

Jerry West

You would think a decade of superstar play would indicate an incoming decline for West, but he wanted no part of it. The point guard achieved his best season to date, seeing career highs in scoring and assists while lifting an injury-riddled Lakers team to the second seed.

Walt Frazier

While Reed deservingly got the media attention, Frazier was arguably just as important – if not more – to the Knicks’ success. This breakout campaign saw him amongst the top five scoring point guards, as well as a narrow second place on the Knicks. He became an elite and efficient playmaker as well, a development that made New York even more dangerous from all places.

Wes Unseld

Despite a disappointing playoff outing in the previous year, Unseld continued to show out. He led the Bullets through another fifty wins, while also improving massively on the offensive end.

Connie Hawkins

Hawkins was a rare example of an ABA player favoring to play in the NBA, despite his sustained success in the rival league. The small forward became an instant star for Phoenix, finishing top ten in scoring average and blessing the young franchise with their first playoff berth.

Around the League

Team Standings

Notes
An asterisk (*) indicates that the team qualified for the playoffs.

Eastern DivisionWLWestern DivisionWL
New York Knicks*6022Atlanta Hawks*4834
Milwaukee Bucks*5626Los Angeles Lakers*4636
Baltimore Bullets*5032Chicago Bulls*3943
Philadelphia 76ers*4240Phoenix Suns*3943
Cincinnati Royals3646Seattle SuperSonics3646
Boston Celtics